Pocket PC Talk News Archive

HTC virtually owns the Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone market here in the US. But manufacturers like E-TEN are hot in pursuit, and E-TEN's Windows Mobile Pocket PC phones get better with every iteration. They offer a few things that competing HTC phones lack and as a result the company has grown significantly in the past year, with sales booming in Asia, Russia and Europe. Here in the US, importers and retailers offer E-TEN Pocket PC phones including some larger retailers such as J&R and MobilePlanet. Take the Glofiish X800, which has a slim slate design, all the features of the HTC TyTN II(aka AT&T Tilt) minus the hardware keyboard, but adds a VGA display (a rarity among pocketable PPC phones) and the superior SiRFstarIII GPS rather than a bundled chipset aGPS. And it sells for $150 to $200 less than the TyTN II. (Source: Lisa Gade, MobileTechReview)

Dasur Pattern Recognition Ltd.'s breakthrough pattern recognition SlideIt and ThumbKey software revolutionizes mobile text input. SlideIt, Dasur’s patent-protected recognition technology, and ThumbKey are redefining the next generation of touch screens, ensuring that on-the-go users can enjoy superior accuracy, efficiency and speed.

SlideIt, is an intuitive method to input text on touch screen enabled devices. Instead of tapping each letter, with SlideIt users simply point to first letter of a word and slide the stylus to the subsequent letters. Spacing is achieved by just lifting the stylus. Speeds of more than 50 words per minute are easily achievable. Consumers love the feel of writing quickly and accurately.

SlideIt is the first technology to combine three features: sliding, prediction and graffiti. “By simultaneously applying those features,” explains Dr. Daniel Suraqui, Dasur’s Chief Executive Officer, who recently unveiled the new systems ”we have created a robust technology that is singularly more powerful than anything else in the market today. By vastly enhancing many familiar features and introducing new ones, we have exquisitely simplified touch screen use for busy, on-the-go consumers and are leading the way for the next generation text input solutions for PDAs and smartphones.”

ThumbKey’s technology brings the touch screen method familiar to BlackBerry users to a more accurate and easier level of operation with the capability of using but one hand. While with the standard-sized keyboard achieving accuracy is difficult -- the keyboards and screens are getting smaller, while our thumbs are not -- Dasur’s ThumbKey uses a unique algorithm that allows users to just press in the general vicinity of the required key for the intended word to appear on the screen. The algorithm processes the typed letters and its disambiguation features suggests the intended word and conveniently displays additional possibilities next to the keyboard.

SlideIt and ThumbKey support all versions of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and similarly support three languages: English, French and Hebrew. The company will make the keyboards available soon in the others operating systems and in many other languages. (Source: Press Release)

KEELE, Staffordshire,UK - January 30th, 2008 - Astraware(R) is excited to announce an update to Astraware Casino which adds additional features as well as 2 new games.

Since the release of Astraware Casino in December 2007, customers have offered excellent feedback and requests for additional features. In response to these, Astraware Casino version 1.10 is now available as a FREE upgrade to registered owners. The new version includes two new games - Video Derby - which is reminiscent of the miniature mechanical horse racing games seen in casinos and arcades, and 3 Card Poker - a variation of poker also known as Tri-card Poker and based on the British card game, Brag. In addition, Astraware Casino now also includes a Repeat Last Bet option in Craps, Roulette, and 3 Card Poker to make it easier for players to repeat the more complex bets in those games.

With new games included in Astraware Casino, players will discover yet more fun trophies to be unlocked and added to their Souvenir Suitcase.

Astraware Casino version 1.10 is available for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R) smartphones and PDAs. Registered owners can simply download the new version and it will accept their existing registration code. New users can purchase a copy priced $19.95. To download, try or buy, visit http://www.astraware.com/casino. (Source: Press Release)

KEELE, Staffordshire, UK - January 30th, 2008 - Astraware(R) is pleased to announce an update to Astraware Solitaire which more easily allows the addition of new graphical features like extra card backs and backgrounds.

Whilst players will see no difference in the way the game plays, Astraware Solitaire version 1.20 now includes a different way of handling resources so instead of having multiple special versions of Astraware Solitaire on their devices, players can keep one copy of the game on their device and install seasonal card back sets as they want. Spooky Halloween and seasonal Winter card back sets which were included in special versions of Astraware Solitaire are now available separately, and a brand new Valentine-themed card set is released just in time for the most romantic day of the year.

Version 1.20 of Astraware Solitaire is a FREE upgrade for everyone who already owns any version of the game! Users wishing to upgrade from the standard version of Astraware Solitaire can simply install the new version over the top. Users of Astraware Solitaire Winter or Halloween editions should install the new version and add the card back packs they want.

Astraware Solitaire is available from the Astraware website - http://www.astraware.com/solitaire. New users can purchase a registration code for $19.95. (Source: Press Release)

High Tech Computer (HTC) has lost the title as the global top ranking vendor of Windows Mobile-based smartphones (excluding touch-screen models), with its share of the segment falling to below 30% currently, trailing behind Motorola and Samsung Electronics, according to internal data from Microsoft. (Source: Daniel Shen, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES)

VITO Technology releases a new version of FunContact. New version of the contact manager loads in the twinkling of an eye. Managing contacts has become faster and still much fun! Minor bugs have been fixed.

Along with finger friendly touch oriented interface like on iPhone FunContact has other awesome features up its sleeve that turn Windows Mobile contact management into real FUN:

There’s been a definite call from FunContact users to speed up initial start of FunContact. The new version of FunContact starts about 8 times quicker!

Memory usage has also been optimized. Now you can have FunContact running safely in background without having to worry how much memory is left for other applications.

Another new feature allows you to add a new contact or update an existing contact with a new number right from the call log.

Lefthanders will be surprised to see the alphabetic ruler appearing on the left side of the screen. It used to appear only on the right side of the screen and lefthanders could not see the big letter in the center of the screen while sliding the ruler for quick contact look-up.

In addition, minor bugs have been fixed. Contact sorting is saved alright even if you exit FunContact. The pretty Korean girl that appeared as default photo for all contacts is gone.

VITO Technology Inc. is known for its high-tech products in the field of Windows Mobile and Symbian software, GPS navigation and custom projects. Introduced in the present article FunContact is a touch oriented finger friendly contact manager for Windows Mobile Pocket PC. (Source: Press Release)

Thornwood, NY, January 27, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Space inventory collection software for Pocket PC’s is now available exclusively from distributors of INFORMED LLC’s products. Compatible with the latest mobile operating systems, the software provides a fast and accurate method of gathering the fundamental building block of any cleaning management software and works seamlessly with INFORMED’s flagship ManageWize Cleaning Management Software™. But, it can be custom configured to gather space inventory data for virtually any application.

The software allows addition of any number of rooms to a facility, and has been field tested to 24 million square feet. Ease-of-use features include automatic, two-way synchronization of facility information, including custom lists such as area types and floor types. For irregular spaces, the software can accept up to four length and width dimensions and then automatically calculate the square footage of the room (or area).

This software is a sister product to INFORMED’s General Property PocketPC Cleanliness Level Inspection Software which has advanced capabilities to perform inspections related to cleanliness levels. Cleanliness level philosophy stipulates that cleaning organizations are successful if they achieve the cleanliness level for which they are staffed, taking into account the critical variable of resources devoted to cleaning. Cleaning Institute Management Standard (CIMS™) certification, which requires formal inspection and workloading based on industry standards, is leading to increased interest in this type of software. Both products are included at no extra charge with INFORMED’s desktop-based cleaning management software. But, they can be purchased separately in conjunction with custom products developed for the client. (Source: Press Release)

Fizz Software Ltd. is pleased to announce that Fizz Traveller 3.0 has been released for Windows Mobile 2005 and 2006.

Fizz Traveller 3.0 is the next generation of the Award Winning Fizz Traveller program. With Fizz Traveller 3.0 we have taken your travel information needs to the next level. No other program offers so many possibilities to its users, with numerous personalisation options and all the features that you could possibly ever need, all combined in a visually stunning package. Localised in English, French, German, Italian & Spanish

Week of January 27, 2008