BostonPocketPC

If you are SlingBox owner you will be happy to know that the folks at SlingMedia have a new offering for your in the form of the SlingPlayer for Windows 2.0 PUBLIC BETA. We got to see a sneak peak of the beta when we were at CES 2008 and now you have the chance to get part of it as a beta. Here are the features that was requested by the community to make a better viewing experience:

Live Video Buffer—Control Live TV
The new Live Video Buffer with DVR-like control, allows you to easily pause, rewind or fast-forward, up to 60 minutes of video on your PC, right from the SlingPlayer. (Not yet available for Mac)

The Guide—See What's On
The SlingPlayer Guide, is just like your programming Guide at home but is built right into the SlingPlayer for Windows 2.0 PUBLIC BETA software. So you can easily find what's on without having to use your TV's programming Guide or the remote control. (Not yet available for Mac)

SlingRemote
SlingRemote™ looks and acts exactly like your real remote control at home, giving you full control over your viewing experience. From changing channels to setting a DVR to record, you can do it using buttons right on your computer screen.

Multiple Viewing Modes & Sizes
With different viewing modes, the SlingPlayer software allows you to work, surf the web and enjoy your TV, all at the same time.

When installing the new version of SlingPlayer for Windows 2.0 you will also need to upgrade the software on your SlingBox(es). This can take a while. You will then need to enter in your Zip code and cable/satellite service provider so you can receive the correct EPG information.

The buffering for pausing and replaying are just simply awesome. I really like the actual time indicator of on the time slider of the recording and not just a minute ticker like most other PVRs. Also the addition of the EPG (Electronic Program Guide is great as well.)

Be sure to read the requirements and known issues before installing to make sure you want to participate.

Introduction

Our friends over at PhatWare recently contacted us to try out the latest release of PhatNotes, version 5.3. I jumped on this opportunity as it has been a long time since I reviewed one of their products. PhatNotes is an alternative to the built in notes application in Windows Mobile. In fact, not only is it an alternative option, it has advanced features not present in ‘Notes” in Windows Mobile. Best of all, you can customize it, and it is very simple and easy to use. You also get a desktop component that syncs with the PhatNotes on the device.

Requirements

If you are using a Pocket PC, you can install PhatNotes on any device running Windows Mobile 2003, WM5, or WM6. You can even install it to a storage card. All you need is approximately 1mb space. Note though that the actual notes database will be stored on the device itself. If you are using a Windows Mobile Smartphone, all you need is approximately 400K free space for full installation. Same comment goes for the notes databases itself. Additional space for storage is dependent on how many notes you have and how large they are obviously.

For the complete specifications including the desktop component, you can visit this page.

Installation

I installed the software on my iPaq 210 and my desktop with the .exe file. You can also install only the handheld component using a .Cab file. You really do not need the desktop part, but it is nice to have and be able to use on a larger screen with a full keyboard. Lastly, if you do not want to install another separate application on your desktop computer, PhatWare sells a version that syncs directly with Microsoft Outlook. I installed the standard package software once I downloaded it and had it up and running in minutes. It is very easy to do, as it should be. You can see the separate sync option in active sync when the device gets connected to sync.

Product Highlights and Specs:

There are a lot of features and specs that goes along with this application. I can’t imagine the amount of work and hours put into the development of it. Whether you are an existing PhatWare product user or potential new customer, you will appreciate the various options available to you. Below is a PARTIAL list of the Pocket PC and Smartphone items that are new in this version that is listed on their website. If you visit here you can see the full listing of all the new options in this version.

“Smartphone specific

• PhatSpell - Multilingual spell checker (US English dictionary is included, dictionaries for other supported languages can be downloaded
• Support for rich text formatting (WM5 or later)
• Added paragraph spacing setting to the Paragraph dialog box
• Added The Set Paragraph numbering dialog box (WM5 or later)
• Line Spacing and Set Paragraph Numbering options have been added to the Paragraph dialog (WM5 or later)
• Allows renaming linked notes and attachments.
• Paste Special command added in the note editor window

Pocket PC specific

• Added new buttons and 2nd toolbar for the Note Editor dialog
• Added new text formatting features (WM5 or later)
• Added paragraph and line spacing settings to the Paragraph dialog box (WM5 or later)
• Four new paragraph formatting buttons have been added to the Note Editor toolbars (WM5 or later)
• Allows renaming linked notes and attachments.
• Changed behavior of 5-way navigator in the main window: up/down keys allow you to scroll the database list, notes list, or preview depending on the focus, left/right keys allow to move the current input focus. “

Benefits and Features

The following benefits and features listed below can also be found on Phatware’s website HERE

Under each feature I will either add a screenshot and or comment I have from using PhatNotes during my test. PhatWare created a very detailed and thorough product description for the consumer which is why I have used their webpage listing for reference. Why create the wheel twice is my motto?

Organize your notes - by clicking on the column header buttons you can sort notes by creation date, modification date, subject and type. (Lou's notes: There are various sort options available)

Compatibility - export and import notes as text files or transfer data to and from other applications using copy and paste. (Lou’s notes: This is very handy)

Efficiency - small size of the program and compressed database leaves plenty of storage space. (Lou’s Notes: I installed mine in my iPaq file store. I do not have a lot of notes set up right now, but it does not slow up my device at all)

Privacy - protect notes from unauthorized access with a password and 256-bit strong encryption algorithm. (Lou’s Notes: If you want a note protected, all you do is find the note, press on it and wait for a menu to pop up. From here you just select properties and select Protect. Also, as a side note, while you are at that screen, you can also set up a reminder alarm as well.)

Simple User Interface - intuitive user interface allows you to start using PhatNotes right away. (Lou’s notes: This is very true. If you have a couple minutes to play around with it, check out the settings and options and get familiar with it. However, everything is straight forward and can be used immediately after installation)

Email capability - send email messages directly from the Note Editor by clicking on the Send Mail button. (Lou’s notes: You can send emails directly from the PhatNotes application. See the screenshots for the setup and the confirmation message that also pops up after creating it.)

Customizable Views - provides a wide range of modifiable look and feel settings.

Advanced Filters and Text Search - allows a user to search one or more notes databases for a specific text or a regular expression, and filter by text, creation, modification, authoring dates, color, and priority.

ActiveSync support - allows synchronization of multiple notes databases with the desktop PC. (Lou’s Notes: You can do it this way, sync it with Outlook Directly or just use the application on your device. It is your preference)

Microsoft Outlook Support - import or export Microsoft Outlook notes and email messages. (Lou’s Notes: This is another handy feature. Also, don’t forget what I said about syncing to Outlook should you want that option. As a side thought, the desktop component to me looks very similar to some of the MS Outlook screens. I need to play around with this some more, but it was “eye” friendly and not confusing)

Hyperlinks between Notes - allows a user to create links and cross references notes. (Lou’s Notes: When you are in the note creation stage, you would click on menu, insert, link and select the other note that you want to link to. Once setup, in each of the two notes, you will see the notes file name. Once you click on that, it will bring you to the other note that is linked to it. When you are at that note, you will see the link to the first note.)

Comprehensive User's Guide - 180 pages long PhatNotes User's Guide is also available in HTML and PDF formats online. (Lou’s notes: Who needs instructions? It’s like asking for directions! Don’t worry, if you need any support with the application, there is help available)

File Attachments - up to 32 files can be linked to a note. (Lou’s Notes: I did not have that many in my database but can you see the potential here)

Database Tree View - optional database view provides easy access to multiple notes databases.)

Spell Checker - now includes PhatSpell Spell Checker with the English dictionary (dictionaries for other languages supported by PhatSpell can be downloaded from PhatWare web site free of charge). (Lou’s notes: NICE and handy!!)

Today screen add-on - provides an easy access to PhatNotes application recently modified notes directly from the Pocket PC today screen. (Lou’s notes: This is a nice feature also. I tried it out but it added some extra content to my today screen. I am one of those people who like the Today screen with just the right amount of info on it, my way. I unchecked the PhatNotes today option. Just my preference)

Customizable Toolbars - choose from the selection of over 30 buttons. (Lou’s Notes: And Options Galore!!)

Text Formatting - text formatting is now supported on Pocket PCs.

PhatPad support - PhatNotes provides direct access to PhatPad, which allows a user to attach handwritten notes in just two taps. (Lou’s Notes: I did not try this during my test. I can attest to the compatibility though that PhatWare builds into their different product offerings though)

How does it work?

That is a good question. I don’t know, it just works, and it works well. As you may know from my other reviews, I like simplicity and the truth is I will probably never use and or change all the options that are available to me. I looked at all the options and settings when I installed it and I did not really make any changes than which was installed as the default. PhatNotes allows you to use the WM2003 “Classic” look where the buttons and menus are at the bottom of the screen. The default view is the two softkeys as in WM5 and 6. I liked that one better. Going through the application, you will see all the various settings and options you have that has been pointed out above. Another very handy feature is that there is another button installed called “PhatWare Update.” You need to be connected to the Internet to use it but it basically looks for any product updates that may be available. You also see some suggestions for additional PhatWare products listed here also.

Pricing and availability

You can purchase PhatNotes directly from PhatWare.

Here are some of the pricing options.

If you are a current registered owner of a PhatNotes 5.x version, the upgrade is free.

Registered users of PhatNotes 4.x Smartphone, Standard, or Professional Edition can upgrade for $24.95.

If you have an earlier version of PhatNotes that is not listed above or are a new customer, the cost is $39.95.

If you want to get the special version 5.2 that links directly to MS Outlook, the cost is $19.95.

Conclusion

First off, thank you to PhatWare for sending this software for me to try out. I have always been a fan of their software because it is not complicated to use, but yet powerful and functional. I have never had any issues with their software in the past, nor did I have any during this test. My review was intended to give an additional glimpse into how this tool works, but it ultimately comes down to how you like it, how you use it and what your needs are. PhatWare offers a 30 day Free Trial for PhatNotes. My suggestion, as always, is to download it free and try it for yourself. What do you have to lose? Have Fun with it.

One of our friends Jack Cook has been running his site Experience Mobility with many great articles.
In last couple of months he was starting to have some problems with Hidden Spam.

This is what he had to say;

Sad but true, I’m starting over after finding that Experience Mobility was infiltrated with a serious amount of hidden SPAM within my blog.  Evidently there was a vulnerability that was exploited at sometime and no matter what I did to remove it, it kept coming back.  I suppose I could have left it there but it was just the point of having it that bothered me.  Because it was not only in the blog but was also riddled through my database, it was decided that the best tact to take was to start fresh.

So what about all my previous posts and reviews?  I am not going to make an attempt to retrieve the old posts but over time, I will try to bring back my reviews but that will be a time consuming project and I am thinking it may well be a great Winter project.

I do feel bad that there will be a lot of lost links … but life does go on.

So Experience Mobility has changed to http://experiencemobility.net/ and that the NEW RSS feed is http://experiencemobility.net/?feed=rss2. 

Well its about time...the Federal Communications Commission has officially and formally approved the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Hopefully I can end one of my subscriptions and just keep one satellite radio in my car. Yes I am one of the few that have both because there is content on both that I like and have been waiting for this merger to be approved for quite a while. According to the details of the merger content will be available on all current radios and of course new features on future ones like a la carte channel selection.

Both XM and Sirius must cap their prices for three years after joining and allow consumers to choose the channels they want and pay less for packages of channels and a la carte menu pricing. Radios that allow a la carte channel selections will eventually be available for in car dashboard installations as well as stand alone radios.

On Thursday, XM, of the District, agreed to pay $17.5 million in fines and Sirius, based in New York, agreed to pay $2.2 million to resolve complaints that some of their radio receivers sold to consumers and signal-boosting radio towers violated FCC technical rules. Both companies said they would bring their equipment into compliance.  If you noticed newer radios no longer have the strong FM transmitter in them (you know the ones that bleed into neighboring cars when you pull up to a stoplight and share the same frequency and for a brief moment the content of your satellite radio until you pull away) and now have external FM transmitters that you have to string somewhere in your car making for a messier installation, but FCC compliant.

Right now I am wondering what will happen with my lifetime subscription radio, I wonder if they would wave the $75 transfer fee so I can also get a la carte programming.

For more information on the merger as well as pricing check out SIRIUSmerger.com and XMmerger.com.

Have you ever wanted to call someone and just leave a message on their voicemail, because you just wanted to leave a brief message and not talk to the person you are calling? I have and so have a few others. Well now you can with a new free service called slydial from MobileSphere.  All you have you have to do is call a U.S. wireless phone (it won't work with pre-paid wireless services) at 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425). You will have to listen to a brief audio advertisement (they do not share your information with any third parties per their privacy policy) and then at the voice prompt, enter the U.S. mobile phone number of the person you want to slydial (do I sense a new verb here?). You will be directly connected to their voicemail. Leave them your 90 second voicemail message and avoid awkward and unwanted conversations.

If you don't like listening to the ads or can't keep your message in under 90 seconds you can pay for their premium service,called the Myslydial Premium service. Here is the breakdown:

It won't work in Canada yet, but they are working on it. Also the Caller ID comes up from your phone and not SLYDIAL so you won't get caught if you use it. I tried it an an iPhone and the Visual VoiceMail did show my Caller ID and not SlyDials's. The service so far only works with Cell phone carriers, but they are working on gaining support for some major PBX systems, so if you have to call in sick and don't need to talk to a live individual or want to avoid awkward conversations SlyDial may be for you.

Also if you are a frequent user of slydial you can register at SlyDial you get these features in addition for free:

Dial by Name! Create slydial contacts.

Once you enter their phone number in as a slydial contact, just call the slydial phone number and enter the first four digits of their Nickname followed by the # sign and we will connect you to their mobile voicemail. You don't have to remember their phone number anymore!

Click 2 slydial. You can slydial your contacts from the web!

Once you create your slydial contacts you can simply click on the Click 2 slydial icon next to the contact and we will call your phone number. Once you answer you will be connected directly to that contact's voicemail!

On Monday Sprint released an update for it's Touch and Mogul devices bringing them from Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Mobile 6.1.  Here are the details of the update from the HTC site.

For the Mogul

1. Upgrades the operating system from Windows Mobile® 6.0 Professional  to Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional

2. Adds Sprint TV

3. Includes all enhancements incorporated in previous software upgrades including:

4. EV-DO Rev. A functionality for faster download and upload speeds when utilizing data services wherever EV-DO Rev. A coverage is available

5. Advanced GPS functionality including the Sprint Navigation application

6. Adds a Task Manager to the Today screen for easier access and management of running programs

For the Touch

1. Upgrades the operating system from Windows Mobile® 6.0 Professional  to Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional

2. EV-DO Rev. A functionality for faster download and upload speeds when utilizing data services wherever EV-DO Rev. A coverage is available

3. Advanced GPS functionality including the Sprint Navigation application

4. Adds the Opera browser

5. adds a full Qwerty on-screen key Qwerty keyboard

Further details about the update for the Mogul can be found here at HTC's site and you can download the update directly from here.

Further details about the update for the Mogul can be found here at HTC's site and you can download the update directly from here.

Introduction
I recently posted on my personal blog about making the Windows Mobile user interface more aesthetically and functionally pleasing at the application level. In that article, I commented on the great work that a number of third-party companies have already started doing in this regard, as well as some great work at the top-level user interface (shell) level as well. In it, I made mention of VITO Technology's latest UI application - Winterface. While I had tried out and regularly used some of the other replacements for the Windows Mobile Professional Today Screen, I had not yet had the opportunity to see what Winterface had to offer. I quickly decided to change that, and have given Winterface a very thorough run-through. During this time, I was pleased to once again be reminded that there is no single formula for presenting an alternative to the standard Today Screen offering. Winterface's approach to interacting with you and your Windows Mobile device is effective in an entirely different way than other similar products.

Features

• Simplified icon-based approach to navigation for a Windows Mobile Professional device;
• "Finger-friendly" navigation and selection of applications and device settings;
• Intuitive methods for customizing the user interface to your liking.

Installation
Winterface can be installed by using either a CAB file directly downloaded to the device or via a desktop installation executable. I had no issues with the installation itself. Once installed, Winterface does require a fair amount of space on your device at close to 1 MB, so be prepared. Additionally, as a shell replacement, Winterface needs to be installed to device memory (vs. a storage card) for reliability and performance.

One minor irritation occurred after the installation. As a UI shell replacement, I expected Winterface (or a settings screen at the least) to appear following the completion of installation. This did not happen, and made me (falsely, mind you) believe that the installation did not succeed. Once I navigated to the Programs folder on the device, however, I found the Winterface icon and selected it. THe UI then appeared. One "wish list" item I would like to see in a future release is for the UI appear after installation.

Usage
Winterface takes a more minimalist and simplified approach to the UI shell in a fashion similar to the iPhone. The UI is icon-based.

   

Winterface comes with some specialized icons for functions like mail, phone battery and memory. These icons change to match varying states. The Email icon, for example, will display the number of unread messages, while the battery icon shows current battery capacity.

The "dots" at the bottom of the screen represent the total number of "pages" of icons available. Moving between pages can be performed with simple left-to-right and right-to-left finger gestures across the screen.

   

How you choose to organize your icons, including which icons should be added or removed, is entirely up to you. For arranging or removing icons, tapping and holding an icon puts Winterize into a form of "customize mode". This mode places an "x" on each icon, allowing for removal, and provides the visual queue of "vibrating" all of the icons on screen. I found this to be a unique and obvious way of informing the user of the application state without any text.

 

Tapping the "x" will delete an icon, while tapping and moving the icon will place it in a new location. You can move and icon between pages in this fashion. If you move beyond the current last page, Winterface create a new page for you. Simply release the icon to place it in its new location. Pressing the center of the Directional Pad on the device ends this customizing mode.

To add new icons to Winterface, you will need to access the "Menu" icon. This brings up an Options screen.

 

The icon / application types you can add to Winterface are nicely broken down into three categories:

• Applications. These are applications whose shortcuts can be found under the Programs folder (and subfolders) on your device.
  
   
  
• Settings. These are the items typically found under the Settings folder on the device.
  
  
  
• Contacts. These are the entries found in your Contact list.
  
  

In all cases, the information provided is in a very organized and easily scrollable format, allowing you to scroll up and down the screen using your finger. The scrolling is very smooth and adds a nice touch of style to the selection process.

When you find an item you wish to add, simply tap on it. A checkbox appears next to it.



You can select one or more items for any of the categories before completing the process by selecting the large "check" symbol at the bottom of the screen. These items will then be added to the interface, where you can use the customizing function to place them where you wish.

I chose to create a third page on my device to add my most frequently called phone numbers.



If you add contacts to Winterface, tapping on them opens a very nice finger-friendly screen with detail information.



From here, you can dial or e-mail the selected contact.

I quickly found the UI approach that Winterface takes in presenting navigation to be quite nice and effective. While I did miss the details of upcoming appointments not appearing on my home screen, I found that it was not a huge issue. In addition, exiting from Winterface is easily accomplished from the "Menu" button.

One usability problem I did find more of an issue with relates to Winterface serving as a "Lock Screen".



When the screen wakes up, Winterface provides a nice mechanism for unlocking the screen by sliding the lock symbol from left to right. My problem did not occur with regards to the mechanics involved; I could do this quite easily. My problem related to the fact that some notifications from the device did not override the lock screen. Reminders, for example, often ring but do not appear to allow me to dismiss them. New e-mail notifications often did the same. I have seen this behavior happen with other UI shell applications, but the lock screen complicates this a bit more. In order to dismiss the reminder, I must:

• Unlock the screen;
• Tap the "Menu" button in Winterface;
• Close Winterface;
• Bring up the notification in the default Windows Mobile Today screen;
• Dismiss the notification.

Finally, I could find no way in this release of Winterface to turn off the lock screen functionality. This was definitely an area of frustration for me, and took away a bit from the many positives that Winterface has to offer. I believe this is definitely one area that needs improvement for future releases. 

Overall, I came to appreciate  the different approach that VITO Technology took toward user interaction with Winterface. I found the interface pleasing to view as well as to work with, the screen animations for fluid scrolling and page transitions to be consistent and perform well, and the ease of getting to my information (minus the Lock Screen shortcomings) to be quite refreshing. I do not think that the "Winterface Approach" to the Windows Mobile shell is for every user. However, I can definitely see a significant audience that would benefit from Winterface from the point of style, substance (or both).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unique and effective Today Screen alternative for both organization and navigation;
• Intuitive interface makes customization easy and with little training;
• Nice UI style as well as substance.

Cons

• No post-installation setup or initialization;
• Lock Screen can cause extra steps to deal with notifications.

Pricing and Availability
A trial version of Winterface is available for download from the iWindowsMobile web site and from VITO Technology. Winterface is available from teh iWindowsMobile web site for $19.95.

Conclusion
There are any number of ways that a developer can make a given user interface more effective for the user. Winterface is yet another great example of this principle. By providing a visually pleasing, easy to customize and friendly to navigate alternative to the standard Window Mobile Professional Today screen, VITO Technology has once again proven their ability to "think outside the box" with their latest product offering. I encourage users looking for a simple but effective way of interacting with your Windows Mobile device to give Winterface a try. But be careful - you may not want to return to your old Today Screen if you do.

Introduction
While many people look at some of the new and innovative user interfaces for mobile phones as a way of adding "sex and sizzle" to their devices, I tend to look for applications that make my interactions more efficient, friendly or just plain fun (without adding complexity, of course). While the iPhone and HTC's "Manila" interface tend to grab a lot of the headlines, there are any of a number of smaller and more focused applications that are also very useful and aesthetically pleasing.

One great example of providing a friendlier face to a Windows Mobile application is Electric Pocket's FlipSide. As someone who uses Windows Media Player on my Windows Mobile phone quite frequently, I have to say that the "drill-down" approach that Windows Media Player uses to get to my music can be quite frustrating and, well, bland. FlipSide provides a finger-friendly and visual way of interacting with your music collection.

Features

• Visual and intuitive way of interacting with music on your Windows Mobile device;
• Extra functionality for album art and artist information.

Installation
FlipSide is available for installation as both a CAB file for direct installation from the device, or as a desktop installer. FlipSide requires the .NET Compact Framework 2.0. For Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional devices, the .NET CF 2.0 is pre-installed and should not pose a problem. Electric Pocket's FlipSide download page does provide additional links and instructions if a .NET CF 2.0 installation is necessary.

Installation was simple and straight-forward. An interesting note - as a result of leveraging the .NET Compact Framework, FlipSide itself is small; very small. Taking up only 127K for the actual executable is rather impressive, especially considering the functionality FlipSide provides (more shortly).

One final note - as an application focused on the touchscreen interface, FlipSide is intended for Windows Mobile Professional / Pocket PC devices. While the FlipSide web site states that FlipSide supports all Windows Mobile versions, I did not test this application against a Windows Mobile Standard device.

Usage
Basic Functionality
When you first open FlipSide, you will immediately be reminded of the media interface seen on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The application scans for music and album art already installed on the device to build its own index of information. This process does not take very long and is visually represented by a very small progress bar at the bottom of the screen. The positive to this approach is that you can still interact with the application while the metadata is being captured. One big "pet peeve" I have had with the Windows Media Player interface for quite a while is the need to navigate menus to build the library and having to sit and wait while the library is built. Kudos to Electric Pocket for allowing me to move forward while work is performed in the background.

FlipSide presents your library organized by album.

    

Using gestures across the screen from left to right (or vice-versa), you move between the various albums. A nice fluid animation scrolls you from album to album. You also have the ability to use the left and right portions of a directional pad to perform the same actions.

When you find the album you wish to listen to, simply tap on the album art and the track list is displayed.



You can then select the first track you wish to hear by tapping on the title. I must admit that this can be a bit difficult with the large fingers possessed by yours truly, but if all else fails the stylus works well too.

Once music is selected, the track information is displayed and a progress bar designates the play progress.

You can fast forward and rewind within a track by touching the progress bar.

FlipSide works in both portrait and landscape modes.


This functionality does bring to light one of the shortcomings of FlipSide. Many common interactions are mapped to keyboard keys. While this works well for devices with QWERTY keyboards always displayed, it does not work well for devices like the AT&T Tilt that has a slide out keyboard. Actions like pause and play, for example, are mapped to the spacebar. If you do not wish to slide out the keyboard, you can choose to leave full screen mode by tapping near the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the default menu bar.



From this view, you have access to more functionality and a few features. I do hope that a future release of FlipSide will allow for hardware button mapping, as this would greatly reduce the keyboard issues.

As far as playing music goes, FlipSide had no problem playing my Windows Mobile music. No more so, that is, than Windows Media Player itself Sound quality and performance were the same as if using the Windows Media Player directly. Of couse, that also means that the limitations imposed by Windows Media Player (no equalizer, no cross-fade) were also in place.

Enhancement/Features
FlipSide provides some nice and useful features in addition to the user interface functionality. They include:

• Downloadable album art. If your music did not have album art or perhaps not the most recent art, you can choose to download art from the Internet.
  
  
  
  You will be reminded that the Internet will be searched and data charges may apply.
  
   
  
  If located, the album art will be displayed.
  
   
  
  As you can see, the album art might not always be the the most pleasing to the eye, buy hey - it's better than no art at all You also have the ability to remove album art if you choose.
  
• Artist information. At any time, you have the ability to locate (from the Internet) artist information using the Find Extras menu option.
  
  
  
  This option opens a browser window that presents biographical information and related information, all nicely formatted for a mobile device and powered by Last.fm.
  
  
  
  I found this feature to be very useful and a lot of fun as well (trivia buff that I am).
  
• Shuffle
  FlipSide does provide shuffle functionality, either at the album level or for all music.
  
  
  
• Playlist functionality.
  FlipSide provides the ability to work with playlists on the device, including the ability to create and/or modify playlists.
  
  
  

Overall, the additional features for FlipSide serve as a good "icing on the cake" to enhance the overall user experience.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Visually pleasing user interface
• Intuitive navigation
• Informative and useful extra features

Cons

• No custom keyboard mapping
• Some finger functionality difficult in the limited screen real estate

Pricing and Availability
FlipSide is available for a trial download at the FlipSide web site. FlipSide is available for purchase from the FlipSide web site (partnered with MobiHand) for $19.95.

Conclusion
By providing a combination of an aesthetically pleasing interface with intuitive user interface functionality, FlipSide adds a new and fun level to playing music on your Windows Mobile device. The additional Internet-related extras provide a great way to enhance the experience even further, making FlipSide a great enhancement to your Windows Mobile-powered device. I strongly encourage everyone to at least give FlipSide a try; it is worth the effort.

The PocketMind team is happy to introduce a new weather application - Forecast Daily a weather application for your mobile device with database of more than 58,000 global locations. Compatible devices: Pocket PC and Smartphone (Windows Mobile 2003, Windows Mobile 5, Windows Mobile 6).

Download quick video guide to Forecast Daily (short 3-minute AVI file)

Forecast Daily is an ultimate weather forecast application for your Windows Mobile device (both Pocket PC and Smartphone):

• - Choose from 58,000 global locations and cities, including 2,400 airports
• - Ability to use the application without any wireless connection
• - Optimized for finger operation, support for iPhone gestures
• - Low traffic
• - Today screen plugin
• - Advanced day-and-night temperature graph
• - Custom Refresh options

Web page: www.pocketmind.com/forecastdaily.htm

Trial version - www.pocketmind.com/files/ForecastDaily.exe

The latest version of PocketMusic Player 5.1 is now available for downloading!

Here is what's new:

• - New options for equalizer
• - Improved sound quality
• - New interface
• - Additional support for Bluetooth remote controls and stereo headphones
• - Added support for more different resolutions, square screens, and landscape mode on new devices
• - Adjustable alarm volume
• - Best compatibility with Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1
• - Improved HTTP, Windows Network, Shoutcast, Icecast streaming
• - More

To download the PocketMusic Player Bundle head here.

If you have the version 5.0 or 5.0.6 - guess what this upgrade is free for you!

If you have the version 3.x or 4.x  well you are not totally out of luck there is a special upgrade price of $4.95 especially for you.

For directions on how to update: please head here.

Enter your discount code C922265B and click "Recalculate". ;)

If you didn't notice in the Sunday circulars of your favorite big box stores as well as some of the cool new commercials on your television, as well as HP's own HP Shopping site the new 22" HP TouchSmart is now available. The TouchSmart comes in two flavors the  IQ504 PC  for $1299 and the IQ506 PC for $1499 due to the built-in tuner (clicking on the links will bring up their respective spec sheets).

It comes with a Wireless keyboard that is illuminated by the bottom of the PC (which has just enough room to store it underneath), a wireless mouse and a remote control that looks like the one found on the new extenders and MediaSmart televisions. The stand is adjustable to reduce glare and makes easier adjustments for the built-in webcam.

It is pretty thin and has a slot optical drive. What is not shown in the picture is the single cable to the large power brick, which looked similar to the one from the HDX Dragon.

There are some cool videos available online showing an unboxing and how it works here along with tutorials on Music, Pictures, and Video.

Some of the cool software included with the TouchSmart are:

• HP TouchSmart Music - Create playlists with your favorite music
• HP TouchSmart Video - Watch, record and upload(10) your personal videos using touch
• HP TouchSmart Photo - Share your fun and memorable moments in life with family and friends
• HP TouchSmart RSS Feeds - Get the latest news right at your fingertips(10)
• HP TouchSmart Browser - Browse the web in a whole new way(10)
• HP TouchSmart Calendar - Manage your busy schedule and stay in touch with family
• HP TouchSmart Notes - Quick and easy text and voice notes right at your fingertips

As I found some free time this weekend to finish loading my DVDs into my 5 changers from 2 (that held 600), my oldest daughter stated that our HP television should have a sensor like the TouchSmart (she was the one that wanted to go to the store to see it and really,really,really wants one. don't we all?) so we could easily scroll through the 850+ DVDs in the Media Center library since you don't have to actually touch the screen, there are sensors around the bezel. Maybe sometime soon.

If you get a chance to try one out, I highly suggest it. The arc based user interface is akin to a windshield wiper and plays off the ergonomics of the arm's radius. The User Experience that HP has made for the TouchSmart makes you wonder why Microsoft or HP didn't do this with the Tablet PC and makes wonder at what they can do with Windows 7.

Specifications:

Operating System • Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1 -
Processor • Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T5850 @ 2.16GHz(2)
Intel® GM965 Express Chipset, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz Front Side Bus
Memory • 4096MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory(3)(2x2048MB)
Hard Drive • 500GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive(4)
Optical Drive(s) • Slot-load SuperMulti DVD Burner(6)
8x DVD-R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 6x DVD±R DL, 5x DVD-RAM, 8x DVD-ROM, 24x CDR,24x CDRW, 24x CD-ROM
Video Graphics • NVIDIA GeForce 9300 M GS HD graphics module with 256MB dedicated video memory and support for Blu-ray, and Microsoft® DirectX® 10. Up to 2047MB Total Available Graphics Memory as allocated by Windows Vista®.
Network Interface • 10/100/1000 BaseT network interface
Wireless Connectivity • Integrated Bluetooth, Wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n) with built-in WLAN antenna(19)
Audio • Integrated High Definition Audio with 2.0 sound capabilities • High-performance 2.0 Speakers
TV Tuner: Dual-format NTSC or over-the-air ATSC high-definition TV tuner(17)
Remote Control • HP Media Center remote control with IR (infrared) receiver "
Memory Slots • 2 SoDIMMs (200-pin) (occupied)
External Ports • 5-in-1 memory card reader – supports Secure Digital (SD, SDHC), MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, 1 FireWire® (IEEE 1394) port (front), Headphone (front), Line-in (back), 5 USB 2.0 ports(2 front, 3 rear)( 5 available), Line-out (back), Digital Audio Out (back)
Mouse and Keyboard • HP low-profile wireless keyboard with numeric keypad,HP wireless optical mouse
Web Camera • Integrated webcam
Integrated Display • Touch-enabled 22" diagonal widescreen BrightView LCD with tilt adjustment, Built-in array microphone
Dimensions • Unpackaged: 21"(W) x 2.6" (D/L) x 17.4" (H) approx.
Weight • Unpackaged: 24lbs approx.
Lighting • HP Ambient Light lets you set a mood, or see your keyboard in the dark

More information is available at www.hp.com/touchsmart to look at each in more detail on HP Shopping here are links for the HP TouchSmart IQ504t PC and HP TouchSmart IQ506t PC that allows for customization as well as pre-built configurations, but instead of choosing hardware it looks to be software only.