BostonPocketPC

On the heels of friend Chris Leckness' post at MobilitySite regarding recent iPhone issues (Chris, BTW, references another great article by Matt Miller on the same subject), I thought I might chime in with some observations made through all of the recent events.

What has transpired with regards to the iPhone, and MobileMe over the past weeks has, in my opinion, been very uncharacteristic for Apple as an organization. Let's face it - like it or not, Apple may understand the concept of "user experience" better than any software or hardware vendor in history. I regularly reference Apple as the standard-bearer for insuring that any given user experience is complete, well-defined and thoroughly tested before public consumption. It is this mindset that plays a large part in Apple's brand loyalty. The iPhone 2.0/MobileMe issues seem to fly directly in the face of these very principles.

I sincerely believe many of the issues related to the iPhone were avoidable if not for another aspect of Apple corporate culture; unbridled secrecy. Most are familiar with Apple's zealous approach to "keeping things under wraps" until product launch. Few are ever given access to Apple development in its earlier stages, and are sworn to eternal secrecy if they are. While this approach works well in scenarios where the number and diversity of testers are not critical to true validation of the product, it can be the "kiss of death" in scenarios where diversity and number of testers makes all the difference in the world. Keeping that in mind, let's look at some of the issues and how a limited testing group can be a major factor -

• Cellular signal strength/quality issues. While we all often laugh at the Verizon "Can you hear me now?" guy, there is an important principle here. Anyone who works in or around the cellular industry or is tied to a mobile phone while traveling extensively can tell you - what works in one area doesn't necessarily work in another area. The more geographically diverse a testing base, the better the gauging of a cellular radio stack. And no, you can't cover every square foot of North America, Europe and all of the places which have access to the iPhone, but a large testing group is statistically going to be better than a small one. Remember also that with varying geography comes varying carriers and varying cellular networks. Again - the more diversity, the better.
  
  Some recent finger-pointing in all of this is now blaming the radio chipset as the culprit. Even if so, more extensive testing results in more reported issues which results in identifying the culprit - before product launch. Whatever or whomever the final cause is regarding this issue, the bottom line is that a primary user experience with a cellular phone - using the cellular radio - has been far from desirable for many users.
  
• Third-Party application issues. there have been any number of issues reported with the running of third-party applications on the new iPhone. As Chris L. pointed out, many quickly blame the developers. If "bad code" is truly to blame, then so be it. However, with all of the restrictions placed by Apple in relation to third-party developers and the AppStore, a testing/certification process should catch the most flagrant issues. I cannot help but believe that Apple was either unprepared for a large number of applications being submitted or simply did not test the applications as thoroughly as they should have (if at all). What strikes me as most surprising in all of this is the fact that Apple gave a strong impression that a primary reason for the AppStore approval process was to ensure quality control was in place. That being said, a larger testing base may once again have facilitated any QA process.
  
• MobileMe. Honestly, I believe many of the issues here exemplify how any company can struggle when leaving their "comfort zone". While iTunes shows that Apple can managed large-scale connectivity and distribution models over the Internet, synchronization of thousands (if not millions) of computing devices is a far different beast (remember - MobileMe is not an iPhone or even Apple-exclusive technology). MobileMe likely should never have been launched until after the iPhone was launched, and then only in controlled testing modes to ensure reliability and scalability.

There have been other issues surrounding the iPhone floating around the Internet, but I think I'll stop here. The point that I am trying to make is that Apple appears to me to have drifted from what has always made it such a vastly popular company -

User experience took a back seat to a product launch date.

As someone who has worked with and for companies that take this approach to doing business on a regular basis, brand loyalty will only last as long as a new or cheaper competitor doesn't arrive on the scene. In Apple's case, recent events are an exception, not the rule. Moving forward, Apple can (and likely will) return to its tried and true ways. If not, "unApple-like" practices will really test the patience of what is arguably the most loyal customer base in technology history. In addition, people and companies new to Apple (iPhone and the enterprise, for example) are definitely being given an initially unfavorable impression of Apple. To these folks, there is no "unApple-like" thought process; there is only a "bad product launch" thought. Gaining trust with this market is probably going to be even rougher than first thought.

I believe that Apple will correct many of the issues around the iPhone and MobileMe. History proves they are responsive. What will be interesting to see, however, is whether or not Apple is willing to accept the fact that venturing into new businesses and technologies may require a change in corporate culture. In the case of the iPhone, third-party applications and MobileMe, that change may require steeping away from the isolated and limited world of product testing and moving towards more open and expansive testing programs. This would definitely be the most "unApple-like" thing that Apple could do, but likely would allow them to be most "Apple-like" in terms of customer satisfaction.

Yes, Virginia - there will be a meeting of the Boston/New England Windows Mobile User/Developer group this month

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 20th 2008 starting at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA (201 Jones Road, 6th Floor).

This month's meeting will have a developer "flavor", with two topics for discussion:

• "Windows Mobile Device Configuration: A Developer's Perspective"
  While many people are aware of device management and configuration solutions available for Windows Mobile, developers are often surprised to discover that they have the ability to configure devices using the .NET Compact Framework from their own applications. In this presentation, we will look at some of the options available to allow your application to configure such features as WiFi, Bluetooth and more.
• "Sync Me Up! Sync Services for ADO.NET and Sync Framework for Devices"
  As most developers will tell you, the process of developing a data synchronization framework for an application can be an extremely complex process. Microsoft is address this issue through the Microsoft Sync Framework. Two components within this framework include functionality for ADO.NET synchronization and a more generalized synchronization core functionality. If you are responsible for developing Windows Mobile application that moves data from device to server and back, than this presentation should be considered a "must-see".

As always, we will have lots of great items up for grabs in our end-of-meeting raffle.

Hope to see you there!

Celio Corp. just recently made the REDFLY Mobile Companion available to consumers outside of the business sector and now just chopped another $100 off the price of the unit to make it more appealing to consumers. When we had the review unit and talked to a few folks at Celio at CES and before we did the review this is what they had in mind all along. As with any product when the demand for units increased they could reduce the price due to increase in production volume and pass the savings on to consumers hence increasing sales.

To get your hands on the Celio REDFLY before they are backlogged again head here. They are still listed as eval/demo units.

Edit: Amazon also has them here. :)

Josh Einstein of Einstein Technologies is now offering the popular TEO 3.0 for free to download, which used to be a 15-day trial. I have been a huge fan of Tablet Enhancements for Outlook since it first came out and was part of several betas and have watched it grown over the years.

If you are not familiar with TEO it is an add-in for Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 that augments Outlook into a fully pen-enabled app. You can use it on your Tablet PC or UMPC running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2 or Windows Vista. You will need the Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 or higher to run it.

If you use your Tablet PC as much as I do, entering in appointments is easily done in ink and I actually prefer to using TEO over the standard Outlook method of entering appointments into my calendar its also a great for note taking especially during conference calls with Journal. Here are a few features:

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.