BostonPocketPC

I am currently on my way to NYC and while I am here I will be attending some Windows 7 Launch events. If you are not in NYC you can still watch the Launch Party with Steve Ballmer live here.

I will also be attending the Engadget Show where the folks at Engadget will be interviewing Steve B at the Times Building in NYC. They will also be live blogging the event as well in typical Engadget fashion.

I will also be doing some meet ups with various bloggers and friends that are in the Big Apple and will report back when I can what I see here as well as via Twitter. Tomorrow I will head to some stores with some other bloggers and see how consumers are liking Windows 7 as well as how retailers are selling it. We may even do some demos of our own! If you are in the area and want to stop by I will be tweeting our location.

Brandon LeBlanc has also posted some great news on some great bundles that are available. The best one looks to be the 3 computer bundle from Best Buy for $1199.

• Best Buy Bundle: HP Laptop, Desktop PC with monitor, Netbook, wireless router and set-up by Geek Squad for $1,199. For the price of one average Mac, you can outfit your entire family with 3 great Windows 7 PCs and a home network!
• Dell: Save more than $100 on a Dell Studio XPS13
• Gateway: All-in-one Acer Gateway ZX6800 23" for $899

Also check out this HD video of Brian and Stewie from Family Guy called Windows 7 is Here [HD].

I will be twittering too. You can follow me @fyiguy This looks to be one busy day and I can’t wait to see and share all the new hardware from partner OEMs geared for Windows 7.

For any mobile solution provider, keeping up with change is always a challenge. When you are a provider of not only end-user products but also developer tools, the challenge is even greater. Resco is one developer addressing these changes, and is even going further…

Resco MobileForms Toolkit now optimized for application development for Windows® phones

Bratislava, Slovakia — October 20, 2009 — Resco, a supplier of advanced developer components and tools for mobile devices, announces that its popular suite of Microsoft .NET Compact Framework components called Resco MobileForms Toolkit now supports development of applications for Windows® phones

Resco is pleased to have the opportunity to optimize its widely used suite of components for mobile applications development for the new Windows phones.

“The majority of users, when buying a new cell phone, consider the basic parameters of the device, such as its design, operation system, new functionalities,” said Radomir Vozar, Resco Developer Tools & Enterprise Division Director. “Much more important, especially for development companies, is the development environment and here the dominance of Microsoft and Microsoft Visual Studio is more than evident.”

Thanks to Resco MobileForms Toolkit, all developers familiar with Visual Studio have a great opportunity to develop Windows phone applications that fully compete in attractiveness with platforms like iPhone or Android.

“We’re pleased that Resco is helping developers reach the millions of people using Windows phones by offering the the Resco MobileForms Toolkit,” said Jason Lim, director of ISV and developer experience at Microsoft Corp.

The complete press release can be found at the Resco web site.

If that isn’t enough, Resco is also steeping in to fill the Microsoft Dynamics CRM void. If you are unaware, Microsoft recently announced that they are discontinuing Microsoft Dynamics Mobile. Resco has stepped up to fill that gap, however…

Resco announces support for Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Resco SFA and CRM solutions will be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Bratislava — October 20, 2009 — Resco, a supplier of advanced developer components, tools and business solutions for mobile devices, announces that its popular SFA and CRM solution Resco MobileBusiness ESP will be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Although there are many mobile CRM solutions available in the mobile market, most of them are either a thin client, or end-user applications with limited customization opportunities. On the other hand, Resco MobileBusiness ESP is a developer platform that can be used by developers from all around the world as a base for their own mobile CRM and SFA applications.

“Since the release of Resco MobileBusiness ESP there’ve been many concerns from the integrators about the option to integrate it with Microsoft Dynamics CRM,” said Ivan Stano, Marketing & Sales, Resco Enterprise Solutions. “That contributed to our decision to create a tool for integrators to help them develop their own Dynamics CRM mobile extensions.”

The Resco MobileBusiness ESP solution is a developer platform for mobile business applications that work in off-line mode and allow, when it is needed, synchronization with server database. Thanks to the support for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the Resco MobileBusiness ESP will enable synchronization of mobile client data with Microsoft Dynamics CRM database.

“We realize the miscellaneous ways of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM usage in various companies,” said Miroslav Pomsar, Resco MobileBusiness ESP head developer. “Resco MobileBusiness ESP will solve multiple basic scenarios with customization opportunities embedded directly into Microsoft Visual Studio.”

Resco MobileBusiness ESP for Microsoft Dynamics CRM will be supplied with well-commented C# source code. Thus, it will be possible to perform elaborated adjustments that can lead to significant changes of the solution’s nature. Furthermore, the nature of the Resco MobileBusiness ESP solution as a developer platform and its licensing policy allow the developers creating solutions under own brand and with royalty-free distribution.

The first release of MobileBusiness ESP for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is expected to come in December 2009.

The complete press release for this announcement can also be found on the Resco web site.

All in all, Resco has really stepped up in supporting the Windows Pnone enterprise and developer communities.

I have often written and spoken about my personal favorite enhancements for Windows Mobile devices. Always high on this list has been SBSH Mobile Software’s Facade. It is truly one of the great home screen enhancements for Windows Phone non-touch screen devices. While Windows Mobile 6.1 and 6.5 have improved upon the home screen concept with the “sliding panels” approach, Facade continues to provide amazing additional functionality. Even better – a great product now looks even greater with the release of Facade 2.0 -

October 19th, 2009 - SBSH Mobile Software is excited to announce today the Facade for Windows Mobile Standard major update to version 2! SBSH Facade 2 for Smartphone is the ultimate front-end solution for WM Smartphones! Combining vital phone features and agenda, all in one professionally designed display, visible and accessible each time you power on your phone!
SBSH Facade 2 is powerful and optimized for mobile use like never before! Including new Home Panel with date and clock, alarms, profiles, pending counters, weather, appointments and tasks!; Custom home screen plugin integration, with multiple plugins in a single Facade panel; Integration with all major PIMs; Category colors and icons; Easy skin packaging and installation and much more!

 SBSH Facade 2 Highlights

• Home Tab - Date and time, alarms, profiles, pending counters, appointments and tasks - all in one screen display!
• Custom Plugins - Host any custom home screen plugin within Facade panels
• Appointments and Tasks - Powerful combined display including both appointments and tasks in a single section
• PIM Integration - Special integration with all major PIMs: SBSH Calendar, Pocket Outlook, Pocket Informant, AgendaOne and Agendus
• Category Icons and Colors - Use category icons and colors as part of your agenda display! Includes automatic use of SBSH Calendar category icons and configuration
• Monthly Calendar - Monthly calendar tab shows the days of each month within a Facade tab
• More Weather - Integration with SBSH PocketWeather revamped, including new forecast weather buttons and current temperature
• Skin Packages - Designers can now create installable layout packages, simplifying skin installation to a single file
• MRU Buttons - Most recently used button shortcuts now available
• Windows Mobile 6.5 - Fully compatible with Windows Mobile 5 through 6.5 devices

You can find out more about Facade 2.0 at the SBSH web site. Facade is also offering a free upgrade for users who purchased the previous version after July 1, 2009. In addition, all registered Facade owners who purchased prior to this date are entitled to an upgrade discount! You can find out all of the details at the Facade upgrade page.

Congratulation to SBSH! The new version looks even better than the old (and that is no small accomplishment).

It’s meeting time again, all! The next meeting of the Boston/New England Windows Mobile User and Developer Groups will be held this Wednesday (October 21, 2009) starting at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA (201 Jones Road, 6th Floor).

Our featured presentation - “Back ‘Dat Thang Up!: Windows Mobile Backup Strategies”
While the title may sound humorous, there is nothing funny when it comes to the loss of personal data. With the high percentage of breakage, loss and theft of cellular phones the need to preserve critical information is always a concern. Microsoft has officially released it’s official cloud-based backup solution for Windows Mobile 6.5 devices in the My Phone service, but that may not be the right solution for all your needs.

In this presentation, we will talk about creating your own (or your business’) backup strategy and finding the right tools to meet your needs.