I am hitting the road towards Philadelphia enroute to attend the Pocket PC Summit. Entries here will be lite for the next couple of days as I travel and site see. I plan on blogging the conference heavily here, so if you aren't going be sure to check here early and often. In the mean time, check out my Pocket PC Summit directory to see who is attending. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you at the show.
posted by Frank McPherson 12:37 AM |
link
I wanna Wallaby. Common Voicestream, let's get the show on the road!
posted by Frank McPherson 10:54 AM |
link
Pocket PC Thoughts is running a discussion thread regarding a new office software package called SoftMaker Office that is currently being developed only for handheld PCs. Jason is running a poll to find out how many people would want a Pocket PC version of this software, and how much they would be willing to pay. If you are looking for an alternative to Pocket Word and Excel I suggest that you go over to the thread and cast your vote.
posted by Frank McPherson 7:29 PM |
link
You cannot connect an iPAQ with a PC Card sleeve to the Compaq keyboard. Looking at the stand that holds the iPAQ I figure I can't use the CompactFlash sleeve either. I'll have to check, but I am pretty sure I can use the PC Card sleeve with a Stowaway keyboard.
posted by Frank McPherson 1:48 PM |
link
I have Akron's multi-media iPAQ series cup holder which I used today in my Chevy Blazer as I drove to a meeting in Flint, Michigan. My favorite GPS for Pocket PC's is Traveroute's Pocket Co-Pilot, which has the annoying problem of disconnecting from the bottom of the iPAQ if I let the iPAQ slide around on the passenger seat. The Akron holder fixes that problem by keeping the iPAQ in a secure location, and the holder makes it easier to see the screen. After just one trip I can't believe that I have not been using a holder before this.
Now one problem remains -- the amount of wires in my car once I connect the GPS and the associated power connections. If I am the only one in the car it's not a problem, but the wires are in the same area where a passenger will sit. This situation has me thinking about getting a CompactFlash GPS, of which Dale Coffing tells me the Pharos version is the best.
I think that Bluetooth could be used to make a perfect in-car GPS solution. Imagine mounting a GPS receiver with a Bluetooth radio somewhere on the back window of the vehicle. No cables to have to connect the receiver to the handheld, meaning that you can easily move the handheld around the car. Of course, the one challenge in creating this type of solution is power for the GPS receiver. It would probably have to be some type of after-market solution that hooks into car's power, or perhaps a solar power cell would work. I am surprised that there hasn't been more talk about using Bluetooth to connect devices in cars.
posted by Frank McPherson 1:48 PM |
link
In another step towards promoting their software for mobile devices, Microsoft has signed a deal with Verizon where the wireless telecommunications company will sell MSN services on their network. The two companies will co-develop future SmartPhones and Pocket PCs. Verizon custoemrs will be able to subscribe to MSN services at prices ranging from $6.95 to 12.95 per month.
posted by Frank McPherson 9:02 AM |
link
News: Next-gen Palms double battery life This is an interesting article with claims of improvements Palm will make in battery life. It suggests that operating system functions are related to battery life.
posted by Frank McPherson 3:11 PM |
link
Mindjet will be releasing a Pocket PC version of MindManager 2002 Mobile Edition in June. This program will be a competing product to Pocket Mindmap, but supports synchronization with Mindjet's desktop products.
posted by Frank McPherson 12:30 PM |
link
Hewlett-Packard made two announcements today relating to the iPAQ Pocket PCs. First, they announced that they will be bundling InfoWave's Symmetry Pro client software for the iPAQ and desktop PCs. Symmetry Pro is a synchronization product that provides access to Microsoft Exchange servers. There is a desktop version of the program available for $19.95, and server based solutions are also available for corporate implementations. This may be another alternative to ActiveSync worth investigating if you are using Outlook as an Exchange server client.
The second announcement is a deal with GoAmerica to use their Mobile Office Document Manager for online file storage. The service costs $9.95 per month for 50 MB of storage or $29.95 for 250 MB of storage.
posted by Frank McPherson 6:34 PM |
link
Macromedia and Microsoft have released the Flash 5 playerfor all Pocket PC 2002 devices. When you load the PocketPC.com downloads page click the Macromedia Flash Player for Pocket PC 2002 Update link.
posted by Frank McPherson 6:27 PM |
link
PocketClassroom is new proprietary software developed by the Research and Development team in Information Systems at Wake Forest University. It turns a PocketPC equipped with a wireless card into a web server, a presentation controller, and a feedback device for a classroom instructor or for any speaker making a presentation to an audience. By incorporating all these functions into one program, it allows you to 'put class in the palm of your hand' as you move freely around the classroom.
posted by Frank McPherson 12:44 PM |
link
I've been using Radio Userlandfor over a year. Besides the weblogging features built-in to Radio, another cool aspect of it is that it is outlining tool that stores outlines in OPML format. I recently found out that the desktop partner to Pocket Mindmap, called PMMPartner, includes XLST scripts for converting Pocket Mindmap documents to OPML. That means I can pull outlines that I make on my Pocket PC into Radio Userland, and from their easily convert the outline into a web document.
posted by Frank McPherson 11:51 AM |
link
Verizon Wireless is launching a flat rate plan for their new Express Network. The Express Network is available in select cities (including Detroit starting tomorrow) and provides about 50 kbps data rates. However, their unlimited data plan is $99 per month, which is still too high. Otherwise, you can pay $35 for 150 voice or data minutes or $75 for 600 minutes. This doesn't sound like that much of a deal to me.
posted by Frank McPherson 9:51 AM |
link
