Review - SHAPE Services IM+

Recent surveys have shown that instant messaging usage is growing at a very rapid rate. It may even surpass email as the number one electronic means of staying in touch, especially with younger users. So to stay in contact with your friends on MSN, ICQ, AOL, Yahoo, Google Talk and Jabber while you're on the go, you'll need IM+. IM+ is a single messenger client that connects to all the networks I just mentioned. (Windows mobile, Reviews)

Opera Offers Windows Mobile Public Beta

Popular browser maker Opera has released a beta version of its software for Windows Mobile 2003 and Windows Mobile 5. It uses the same core rendering engine as Opera's desktop browser. Features include full screen support, landscape support, multiple windows and more. I've heard many people mention this is a very good alternative to Pocket Internet Explorer. The beta version of Opera 8.5 for Windows Mobile will expire 45 days after installation. Their site currently makes no mention of priceing for the release version. But, if you're interested in participating in the beta or getting more information, follow the link below.

http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/products/winmobileppc/  (Windows mobile, News)

Review - PocketWeather 1.2.4

I'm based in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and this time of year one of the most important things to keep an eye on is the weather. And one of the most convenient places to have weather reports is on the Today Screen of my Windows Mobile device. This past week I've been testing out SBSH Mobile Software's PocketWeather. This informative piece of software has warned me of several snowstorms that hit my area and let me know what days were going to be sunny so I could call in sick and hit the slopes. (Windows mobile, Reviews)

Windows Mobile Application Development Featured in Upcoming MSDN Tour

Developers out there are probably already aware that Microsoft has recently launched its new suite of software development tools called Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. It also includes numerous tools for developing Windows Mobile applications.

The Microsoft folks are now hitting the road on an MSDN tour to promote this release. And wouldn't you know it, Session 1 is all about building mobile applications. They'll be talking about optimizing your UI for small screens, accessing new Windows Mobile 5 features, working with Outlook Mobile, integrated cameras, phones and more. If you're a mobile software developer or are looking to become one, this is a good way to check out the latest tools. Follow the link below to find locations and info on all the sessions in this tour.

http://www.msdnevents.com/eventdetails/default.aspx#MobileApps (Windows mobile, News)

Review - Ilium Software's ListPro 4.1

Out of the box your PDA can handle calendar, contacts, tasks, email, web browsing, etc. But try making a shopping list, a packing list for your next business trip or a list of the discs in your DVD collection. Now make those lists searchable, sortable, and hierarchical. You can't do that without some list making software. Today, we'll take a look at the latest version of one of the first, most complete list managers around, Ilium Software's ListPro 4.1. (Palm, Windows mobile, Reviews)

Early Reviews of Treo 700w show cause for concern

The first reviews of the Verizon Treo 700w are in and they are somewhat surprising. David Pogue and Walter Mossberg are known to be some of the big names in the industry and their reviews are thoughtful and usually un-biased. Both are quick to point out some significant shortcomings in the new Treo.Both are critical of the screen resolution 240 x 240 instead of 320 x 320 which equals 44% less resolution. The camera has been boosted to 1.3 megapixels but the screen can't take advantage of that new found clarity. While both talk about the hardware being brilliant it seems like both have issues with the new Windows mobile smartphone software. One serious bug seems to be for the home/personal user as opposed to the corporate user - the email program seems to kick POP email users off the network once mail has been checked. It could take Microsoft months to work this out.Both of these articles are worth a read until one of us here gets our hands on this new device and puts it through its paces. As David Pogue saysin his review, this really seems to be more about capturing those corporate customers that absolutely will not get a device that isn't running something from Microsoft. It likely won't pull away current PalmOS users, but it will capture a currently untapped market. "A Marriage Not Made in Heaven" - David Pogue (New York Times) "A New Palm Treo Uses Microsoft's Software, But It Doesn't Beat 650" - Walt Mossberg (Wall Street Journal) (Windows mobile, News)

Review - Quake Mobile by Pulse Interactive

Now that Windows Mobile devices have become so much more like desktop PCs we're seeing more PC games coming to the handheld platform. Some make the transition better than others. This past couple of weeks Pulse Interactive has been letting me try out their port of Quake. This isn't the first time Quake has been available on Windows Mobile devices, but Quake Mobile brings some things to the table that the other ports don't. (Windows mobile, Reviews)

Free Mobile Software from Handango's InHand Software Store

Handango has announced that it will be giving away free software and discounts each week through the holiday season via its InHand software store. Handango InHand is a free on-device software catalog that simplifies the process of finding, purchasing and installing applications and games for Pocket PC phones and PDAs. Just install it from Handango's site and keep it up to date. Then from within the InHand store, you'll see the free and discount software offers. This week's free title is PocketBreeze 5, a very powerful today screen plugin.

Get InHand at: http://www.handango.com/client/Home.jsp?siteId=1&tab=4&devId=0  (Windows mobile, News)

Spb Pocket PC Survey Results Announced

December 7th, 2005 - Spb Software House announces the results of the second annual Spb Pocket PC Survey, a global survey for Pocket PC users.Now we know that:- Users have three times more phone editions than a year ago.- HP iPAQ lost almost a half of its market share in connection with the growing number of Dell Axim and phone edition devices.- The average storage card size is 1.16 GB, which is 3.5 times more than a year ago.- 85% users use Pocket PCs to connect to the Internet. It's a more important thing than games now.For a full list of the Spb Pocket PC Survey results, click Read More below. (Windows mobile, News)

Review: Resco Explorer 2005, v 5.31

One of the reasons I was enticed by the world of Windows Mobile was the fact that it supports a desktop-like file system. Yet, Microsoft has never included a decent application for managing your handheld's file system. Oh sure, they include File Explorer, but its functionality isn't anywhere near what a file management application should be. This is where Resco Explorer 2005 comes in. It includes a fully featured file manager, complete with network drive mapping, FTP, Recycle Bin, built-in compression and encryption, and a bundled registry editor. I've been checking out the latest version. Read on to see what I've found. (Windows mobile, Reviews)