Pocket PC Talk - Your place for Pocket PC News

Your Source for Pocket PC News!

The Latest Pocket PC News!

Top Rated News

In US, Smartphones Now Majority of New Cellphone Purchases

Apple iOS up, Android flat, RIM down among recent acquirers.

Smartphones continue to grow in popularity. According to Nielsen�s May survey of mobile consumers in the U.S., 38 percent now own smartphones. And 55 percent of those who purchased a new handset in the past three months reported buying a smartphone instead of a feature phone, up from 34 percent just a year ago.

Android continues to be the most popular smartphone operating system, with 38 percent of smartphone consumers owning Android devices. However, while Android also leads among those who recently purchased a new smartphone, it is the Apple iPhone that has shown the most growth in recent months.

(Source: Press Release)
Commentary:
Windows Phone 7 holds 1% of the market behind iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, HP WebOS and Palm OS. This is suprising given Microsoft's strategy to invest heavily in a large ad campaign and supporting developers to the tune of 450 million dollars. Is Windows Phone 7 the future or is this due to the abandonment of enterprise customers with the 7.0 release and their continued purchases of 6.x devices? I expect this is have a singificant impact and will do so until the supply of 6.x devices diminish in the market. Also it is interesting that T-Mobile and ATT now offer Windows Phone 7 devices as refurbished on their sites - is this because of a larger than expected return rate? Also, it's interesting that Motorola ES400S international phone from Sprint is a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone and Verizon still offers the LG Phantom Windows Mobile 6.5 device as well. - Chris De Herrera

Posted Sunday, July 3 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 1.28

Pragma Releases Mobile SFTP and FTP Client for Secure File Transfer

AUSTIN, Texas, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pragma Systems, a leading provider of enterprise-class remote access and security software for servers and mobile devices, introduces Pragma Mobile FileMover for Windows Mobile devices, smartphones and handhelds that are running Windows Mobile 6.0/5.0, Windows CE 5.0/4.x or PocketPC 2003. Mobile FileMover is an enterprise-class secure file transfer (SFTP) and file transfer (FTP) client for mobile and industrial handheld devices that provides government, financial services, healthcare and supply chain customers a reliable way to transfer large files to and from a remote SFTP or FTP server.

Mobile FileMover solves the security and access challenges that come with secure file transfers. It utilizes the encryption capabilities of SFTP or FTP over SSL, providing a reliable and secure method for transferring files. These files may represent customer data going to a field sales force, corporate briefings or presentations or represent other important financial, healthcare or personally identifiable data. With Mobile FileMover, users can access enterprise servers to upload and download necessary files to improve productivity and access for customers, partners or vendors "on the go." FileMover allows uploads or downloads of files of any size easily and efficiently across a wireless (4G, 3G, Wi-Fi), WAN, VPN or LAN network.

"Secure mobile access to company data and files are vital for professionals who require instant mobile access to any updated data," says Quamrul Mina, CEO of Pragma Systems. "FileMover greatly assists this process by allowing instant downloads or uploads of files securely with Pragma's FIPS certified security software."

Pragma Systems continues to enhance their mobile software offerings to meet a broad range of customer needs relating to fast and secure file transfers. When coupled with the FIPS 140-2 Certified security capabilities provided by Pragma's Secure Shell (SSH) server offering, Pragma FortressSSH, the solution provides a robust solution that solves many regulatory issues, including PCI, HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

Pragma Mobile FileMover features include:

Upload of files from a mobile device
Download of files to a mobile device
Support of SFTP and FTP file transfer protocols
Advanced encryption algorithms AES, TripleDES and Blowfish
Password and certificate-based authentication for secure user verification
Works with any SFTP and FTP servers on any operating systems
Auto login capability
Auto sensing and adjustments for landscape or portrait mode

Pricing for Pragma PocketVT is US$39 per client with discounts available for volume purchases. Download a free 14-day trial from http://www.pragmasys.com/trynow.asp. (Source: Press Release)

Posted Thursday, June 16 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.15

Senators propose new mobile data privacy law

The bill introduced Wednesday would require device makers and app developers "to receive express consent" from mobile users "before collecting or sharing information about those users' location with third parties."

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., co-sponsored the bill, which is called the Location Privacy Protection Act of 2011.

The lawmakers said the bill "would close loopholes in current federal law to ensure that consumers know what location information is being collected ... and allow them to decide if they want to share it." (Source: Julianne Pepitone , CNN)

Posted Wednesday, June 15 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.11

The missing features in Office for Windows Phone 7

Simon Jones takes a closer look at Office Mobile for Windows Phone 7 - and finds it's missing a few features

Windows Phone 7 has been around for a few months now, so I thought it might be useful to run through its capabilities with Office documents.

Despite the numeral, Windows Phone is definitely a version 1 product, very clever in some places and very dumb in others. It shows signs of scant development and design effort in some areas, but whether that�s by accident or deliberate dumbing down isn�t entirely obvious. (Source: Simon Jones, PC Pro)

Posted Wednesday, June 15 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.54

IDC latest to predict that WP7 will overtake iOS

When Pyramid Research suggested that Windows Phone would overtake iOS by 2014 it encountered a hefty measure of scorn for its sacrilege. But now another research firm, IDC, has come to the same conclusion, although it thinks Microsoft will take an extra year to topple Apple.

Gartner also believes Nokia - despite its current crises - will drive WP7 and its successors to a dominant position, although still lagging Android. According to IDC's forecasts, WP7 will command 20.3% of the global smartphone market by 2015, behind Android at 43.8% and iOS at 16.9%. (Source: Caroline Gabriel, Rethink Wireless)

Posted Wednesday, June 15 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.6

Microsoft continues its Windows Mobile 6.x end-of-the-road campaign

Microsoft is slowly but surely continuing to try to wean users from Windows Mobile 6.x phones, even though they are outselling Windows Phone 7 devices (according to at least one market researcher).

The latest Microsoft move in this direction is the discontinuation of the My Phone service and Windows Marketplace for Mobile Web site for those customers.

On June 8, the Microsoft Windows Phone team sent mail to Windows Mobile 6.x users notifying them of plans to cut these two offerings. The Marketplace for Mobile web site will no longer be available after July 15, even though the service will still be available on phones. The My Phone backup service will be phased out between August 7 through October 6, according to Microsoft officials. Microsoft is moving some of Windows Mobile 6.x users� content stored on MyPhone � but not videos, music, documents and favorites � to its free Windows Live SkyDrive online storage service. (Source: Mary Jo Foley, ZDNet)

Posted Wednesday, June 15 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.26

Microsoft My Phone Service Shutdown

Microsoft is discontinuing the Microsoft My Phone service (http://www.microsoft.com/myphone) for Windows Mobile 6.x. The following article provides a timeline for the service shutdown and guidance for users regarding their data stored to the My Phone service.

On August 7, 2011, the Microsoft My Phone service will stop synchronizing data between My Phone-configured Windows Mobile 6.x phones and the My Phone service: User data will stop being backed up to the My Phone service. On this date, Microsoft will begin automatic migration of certain data types from the My Phone service to Windows Live SkyDrive.

On October 6, 2011, the My Phone website will no longer be available. On this date, users will no longer be able to access the data stored from their Windows Mobile 6.x phones to the My Phone service.

(For Migration options, please read the article.) (Source: Microsoft.com)

Posted Tuesday, June 14 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.34

Advantages of a Smart Phone When Browsing Social Networking Sites

Pocket PCs and smart phones have made accessing the internet on the go so much easier. Most smart phones can fit comfortably in one hand and are accessible to the internet nearly anywhere you go. With the rise of 3G and even 4G networks, internet connections on pocket PCs are stronger than ever. As popular as social networking sites have become, such as Facebook and Twitter, the need for these types of technologically advanced phones is also on the rise.

The truth of the matter is that you can't carry around a desktop computer when you are out and about. You can bring a laptop to certain places away from home, but not all areas will have a wi-fi connection that you can use to access the internet. Smart phones allow you to access your favorite social networking sites on the train, while you're walking down the street, or in a park on a sunny day. These are all locations that mostly likely will not have wi-fi for your laptop.

With new advancements in technology, you can now use plesk hosting to create a website straight from your mobile phone. These are called mobile websites. You can even have subdomains, view your statistics, and check your website mail. If you use Facebook as a way to promote your site, you can share your blog posts from your website with Facebook, Tweet about your website, and even switch between all of the sites. A desktop is no longer needed to create and maintain your website as well as promote it on popular social networking sites. Windows mobile phones are also available now where you can use windows hosting in a similar way. With these phones, you don't need to have a social networking application in order to access those websites. You can view the entire site right on your smart phone if you need to. Applications, however, do make updating your status and uploading pictures much easier. Any photo you have on your smart phone can be instantly uploaded to Facebook for everyone to see.

There are even more great things a smart phone can do to keep you connected to social networking sites. One of these things is the ability to play games created by sites like Facebook. Since internet networks for smart phones are now so much stronger, you can play the game just like you would on a desktop. The only difference is that the game fits right in your hand and you can play it anywhere you go!
Posted Thursday, March 10 2011 by ChrisD
Rating: 1.57

Description of the Office Outlook 2007 hotfix package (outlook-x-none.msp): April 27, 2010

Issues that this hotfix package fixes

You create a yearly recurring event on a Windows Mobile device, and you synchronize the Windows Mobile device with a computer that is running Office Outlook 2007. However, in both the Office Outlook 2007 calendar and on the Windows Mobile device, the recurring event shows that it will occur every 12 years instead of every year (12 months) after you perform the synchronization.

(Source: Microsoft.com)

Posted Friday, June 11 2010 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.16 Comments ()

SPB TV for Windows Mobile Smartphones Gets a Major Update

June 8^th, 2010 � SPB Software, a leading mobile software developer, has updated the Windows Mobile version of its flagship application SPB TV to version 2.0. Due to support from advertising revenues the program is now free-of-charge and subscription-free. Ads featured in SPB TV only last as long as channel buffering takes and preserve the best user experience.

In addition to existing features that include quick channel previews, a TV guide for more than 150 channels in over 20 languages, picture-in-picture mode, fast channel launching and switching, the new version offers also a video on demand (VOD) option. With this new feature the users can control what they are watching and when. Unlike broadcast TV, VOD provides greater choice and interactivity.

Another significant enhancement is the Advanced Video Codec (H.264) support which improves video quality. As a result even with substantial lower bitrates the resolution is strongly improved. SPB TV 2.0 also allows users with low speed mobile network connections to watch TV.

SPB TV 2.0

SPB TV also works on iPhone, Symbian, Android, BlackBerry and WebOS smartphones. Last month SPB TV reached the one million users milestone. Mobile TV watching behaviour differs across countries. For example 71% of US users use SPB TV via 3G while in Greece and Poland only 10% of users use 3G and others use WiFi.

"Taking all the statistics and feedback collected from our users into consideration, we created the new version of SPB TV, which not only offers our users better video quality but is also available to all Windows Mobile users absolutely free," said Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, CEO of SPB Software.

SPB TV is also available as a solution for mobile operators. SPB TV Mobile Operator's Solution allows carriers to couple SPB's proven solution with their own infrastructure and various subscription models. Three mobile operators worldwide have already deployed SPB TV based mobile TV solutions.

SPB TV 2.0 for Windows Mobile Main Features:

Integrated TV Guide with a list of current and upcoming TV shows
Unique browser with fast channel launching and switching
Quick channel preview (picture-in-picture mode)
On-screen control panel
Video on Demand
Setting a reminder
Video quality switcher
Advanced Video Codec support

Pricing and Availability

SPB TV 2.0 for Windows Phones running Windows Mobile 5 and later Professional and Standard editions, qVGA, VGA, Square QVGA, HVGA, and WVGA screen resolutions are supported. The application can be downloaded for free from http://spb.com, there is also no monthly fee for using it. The application is ad-supported: an advertisement is shown every time user switches the channel while the stream is buffering.

Further Information

SPB TV for touchscreens product page
SPB TV for non-touchscreens product page

SPB TV for touchscreens screenshots
SPB TV for non-touchscreens screenshots

SPB TV for touchscreens downloading page
SPB TV for non-touchscreens downloading page (Source: Press Release)

Posted Tuesday, June 8 2010 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.36 Comments ()

Click here for Advertising Information