Robot Roll Call!
Ubergeek Phillip Torrone never ceases to amaze me. He not only pushes the edge of the envelope in terms of technology by integrating devices in new and unusual ways, but he’s also doing some leading edge art. Some of this art may make a lot of people shake their heads, but it IS fascinating. For example, pt recently posted a series of photos taken of himself at 30 minute intervals over a 3-week period.
Well, now he’s got his posse of robots in the act. pt has started up what he calls a “roblog” that features pictures taken by his Sony Aibo ERS-7, his Evolution ER-1, and his other Sony Aibo (an Aibo 220). The roblog was also supposed to feature pics taken by a Roomba Robotic Vacuum with a wireless webcam attached, but apparently that hasn’t worked out…
Since October I’ve been a moblog fanatic, taking and posting pictures from my Nokia 3650 camera phone. What these pictures lack in technical quality, they make up for in spontaneity. I’ve had several pictures that were taken on the spur of the moment posted on my client’s intranet site (which 10,000 of their employees see every day), and one of my pictures even ended up as a Textamerica “Editor’s Pick”.
Despite stupid laws like the one they’re trying to pass in my home state (Colorado) to ban the use of these cameras in certain places, I think camera phones and PDAs are here to stay. They’re just too useful and too much fun!
Spb Software House Releases Solution to Developers for Windows Mobile 32 Process Limitation
February 26th, 2004 - Spb Software House is pleased to announce the release of a free solution for developers to the Windows Mobile 32 process limitation problem. The most common methodology used by Pocket PC developers for implementing background tasks is to create executable files which are stored in the Windows/Startup folder in order to ensure that the program is automatically started following a reset, and continues to run in the background. The problem comes in that the Windows CE operating system limits the number of processes running to 32. For example, in XDA II Pocket PC devices, 28 processes automatically start running immediately after a soft-reset, thus leaving you with only four possibilities for new processes, which limits the number of programs you can run. The Spb Software House solution counteracts this limitation, and developers can implement this solution free of charge within their applications.
Windows Mobile 2003 provides users with a special mechanism implemented in the Services.exe directory that allows Pocket PC developers to shape their background applications into services that run in one process as different threads. An article on Microsoft’s MSDN Web site details how developers can implement this solution for their Windows Mobile 2003-based applications: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnppc2k3/html/ppc_services.asp.
Jason Dunn, VP of Marketing tells us that “Pocket PCs have revolutionized the mobile computing world. Having a limitation on the number of processes a device can have working at one time suddenly puts a black mark on this revolution. It wasn’t until the release of the XDA II, which has many background processes, that this problem became apparent. We’ve found an easy, free way to overcome this restriction. We’re encouraging all Pocket PC developers to update their programs to remove this restriction - their users will thank them for it.” Spb Software House has already updated several of their applications, and by as new versions are released all products with background processes will use the new services methodology.
Pocket PC 2000 and 2002 devices are incompatible with this specific solution, so Spb has created a sevices.exe solution that will replicate the Windows Mobile 2003 solution. Developers can implement this solution free of charge by reading the following article, written by Spb Software House developers, on the Pocket PC Developers Network: http://www.pocketpcdn.com/articles/services.html.
…and Nokia Announced Something, Too!
I’ve got to feel a bit sorry for Nokia. They’ve announced the new Nokia 9500 Communicator and it’s been lost in the buzz surrounding the Motorola devices. The 9500 is no slouch:
“The 9500 features tri-band GSM capability (two variants: 900/1800/1900 MHz and 850/1800/1900 MHz), GPRS/EGPRS (EDGE), wireless LAN (802.11b), a built-in VGA camera for MMS messaging, Bluetooth for audio and data, USB for synchronization and J2ME. The device runs Symbian 7.0 as its operating system.
Connectivity takes the form of an e-mail client supporting POP3, IMAP4, SMTP and SyncML, while browsing is possible via HTML / XHTML and JavaScript 1.3. Full security is present through SSL/TLS and Ipsec VPN. Documents in a range of popular formats can be viewed directly on the device.
The latest Communicator is equipped with two colour screens, one running at 640 x 200 16-bit, displaying Nokia’s Series 80 user interface. A second screen runs at 128 x 128 pixels and features the Series 40 interface. The device has 80 MB of memory for users.”
I like the full keyboard, big screen, and full Bluetooth/WiFi/GSM/GPRS/EGPRS wireless suite. As with the Motorola devices, expect to see the 9500 towards the end of 2004.
Microsoft at 3GSM World Congress, More About The Motorola MPx
Well, it’s time for 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France again, and there are some great things coming out of the Microsoft camp. Here are some highlights from a press release I received today:
– Building on the launch of the Motorola MPx 200 in September, Motorola unveiled a totally new category of devices with its MPx, featuring Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software, a unique and compact dual-hinge design, QWERTY keyboard (landscape mode) or touch screen with stylus (portrait mode).
– Also, as part of the Motorola MotoPro series of handsets featuring Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software, Motorola unveiled the MPx100. With an enhanced candy bar design tri-band GSM-GPRS device helps “detox the inbox” with easy-to-use email, messaging, media, and Bluetooth connectivity.
– Additionally, TIM, Italy’s largest mobile operator, joined more than 50 mobile operators and service providers worldwide that have announced commitment to ship Windows Mobile-based devices and KPN, a leading European mobile operator, announced it would ship the Windows Mobile-based Voq from Sierra Wireless.
– Microsoft and Fenestrae, (an enterprise-class software solutions company), unveiled plans to deliver an outsourced Microsoft Exchange-based solution that allows people to send SMS messages to mobile phones, from Outlook on their desktops.
– Recognizing the increasing base of enterprise customers using Windows Mobile-based devices, Microsoft will publish a Windows Mobile security white paper addressing the key security concerns of businesses and mobile professionals.
OK, enough about software solutions for enterprise customers - let’s get to the fun stuff (the hardware!). The other day I had pictures of what we thought was going to be called the Motorola MPx 300. It’s now officially known as the MPx and the details are wonderful (once again, taken from a press release):
– Microsoft Windows Mobile software allows compatibility with all Pocket PC applications
– Large dual hinge landscape and portrait color display for an enhanced experience for gaming, as well as viewing streaming video, photos, applications and more
– External color display for selecting MP3 music, etc.
– One of a kind stylish form factor optimized to consume convergence clutter
– Integrated 1.3 mega pixel camera for on-the-go photo capture
– 2.8″ 240×320 TFT touch screen for easy data input that also works with a stylus
– Multi-function QWERTY keyboard for easy text entry and managing e-mail
– Embedded 802.11b wireless networking for high speed Wi-Fi access
– Integrated Bluetooth technology for seamless connectivity with compatible devices
– Multi-Media Messaging Service (MMS) for sending photos, wallpaper, icons, ring tones and more
– SD/MMC slot allowing up to 1 GB of add-on memory for adding business applications, productivity tools, games and more
– IrDA (Infra red) and built-in “Active Sync” protocol to sync with Microsoft Outlook including email, address books, etc.
WiFi, Bluetooth, and GSM/GPRS in one box? I want one. Add the built-in keyboard and digital camera, and this is definitely one HOT unit. Did I mention that I want one?
Hmmmm….I want one. The other device (MPx 100) is a Windows Mobile Smartphone device (GSM/GPRS) with the following specs:
– Bluetooth
– 1.3 Megapixel camera with a flash and 3x zoom
– 64MB flash ROM
– Windows Mobile for Smartphone 2003
It’s not as sexy as the MPx, but has that familiar Smartphone look with a lot more features than existing models:
There’s no word on when we’ll actually see these devices at our local phone dealers or how much they’ll cost, but I’m hoping that the MPx shows up at my T-Mobile store about the time my latest service plan is up for renewal! 
Handy Tips for SPOT Watch Owners
I’ve had my SPOT Watch (the el cheapo Abacus by Fossil) for almost two months now and I have to say that it has become very useful. I love the ability to send my Outlook appointments to the watch, I like the news and information that I receive on it, and I am anxiously awaiting the new “watch face of the month”.
There are, of course, some things that aren’t all that great about these watches. Probably the most problematic is the fact that unlike most watches, which can often run for years on a single battery, the SPOT devices must be charged. And one thing that I’ve noticed with the Abacus watch is that it seems to go into oblivion as soon as the battery level reaches about 50%. What I mean by this is that it totally dies - the screen goes blank and no amount of massaging the five buttons will bring it back to life.
As a helpful hint to anyone who may purchase one of these nifty little devices, I’d like to pass along this gem of information. Find something that you do every day for about a half hour or so, and while you’re performing that task just drop your watch onto the charging station. I tend to take long, leisurely showers that take about 30 minutes, so just as I’m ready to pop into the shower I take off the watch and put it onto the charger. Following this ritual religiously will insure that your watch never goes dark…
Here’s another handy hint. If you’re going out of town to another SPOT-friendly city, be sure to go to the MSN Direct site a few days in advance and set up your destination as a “travel city”. This happens under the “My Location” tab of the MSN Direct site once you’ve logged in, and it makes sure that you receive calendar updates and news while you’re out of town.
Finally, if you do travel to another city you should realize that your watch will NOT change time zones immediately. On my recent business trip it took about 60-75 minutes for the watch to realize that it was in a new city and change the time zone. It will beep and also display a notice telling you that the time zone has changed, but it definitely won’t happen right away!
On The Road…
Sorry about the lack of updates this week, but I was up in Minneapolis working with a team that is finalizing the design for a large server consolidation project that I’m managing. That made it very difficult for me to find the time to even catch up with the news, so posting was completely out of the question.
One stupid mistake I made was not bringing my little D-Link Bluetooth “dongle” for my work laptop, so I was unable to log in from my hotel room (and I wasn’t about to use a regular dialup connection). Grrrr…
Probably the biggest news that came out during the week was the sneak preview of the Motorola MPx 300 (see below).
Not much has been said about this device, other than it is dual-hinged allowing both clamshell and “handheld PC” formats, it has a full keyboard, and it’s apparently a Pocket PC Phone. I haven’t had a Moto phone for years, but this device might be the one to bring me back into the fold. As more specs are leaked about this fantastic-looking device, we’ll be sure to post them here!
FlipStart PC: Coming Soon or Another OQO?
Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. has been talking about a small (1 lb.) Windows PC for some time now, but now things are starting to get interesting…
The FlipStart PC website has a new look and fairly detailed specifications about this new device. Rather than following the Tablet PC platform like the OQO vaporware device, FlipStart looks like a Windows CE Handheld PC. The biggest differences are that it runs Windows XP Home or Pro and has a keyboard.
As you can see from the pictures above, it’s tiny! This would truly be a mobile device that you could carry anywhere much in the same way that you carry your Pocket PC, Palm or phone. The specs are competitive with many low-end laptops or mid-range Tablet PCs:
Microsoft? Windows? XP Home/Professional operating system
Dimensions: 5.8″ x 4″ x 1″ (148mm x 101mm x 26mm)
Weighs 1lb (450g)
1 GHz processor
256MB system RAM
30GB internal hard drive
3D graphics w/ 8MB video RAM
Full-function, QWERTY thumb keyboard w/ hotkeys for commonly used commands
5.6″ HDTV-quality display (1024 x 600)
Lithium-ion Polymer battery (2-6 hours battery life*)
Integrated 802.11b (11 Mbps) /g (54 Mbps) Wi-Fi
USB 2.0 port
Internal microphone/speaker with headphones and ear bud jacks
Integrated 1.3MP digital camera
Optional:
Low-Power Interactive Display (LID?) module
Bluetooth?
Wide area networking
Ethernet (10/100Mbit)
Support for external VGA
NTSC TV Output
Additional USB 2.0 ports
DVD-CD/RW drive
I especially like the built-in WiFi and optional Bluetooth, the integrated camera, and the PDA-like battery life. It will be interesting to see if this makes it to market! I just hope it doesn’t follow in the footsteps of OQO and become a synonym for vaporware hardware…although they’re now saying they’ll ship in Fall of 2004.
PDAMill Announces Snails for Palm OS
The good folks at PDAMill have announced the availability of the Pocket PC hit game Snails for Palm OS devices. The game runs on most Palm OS 5.0+ devices in either 320 x 320 or 320 x 480 resolution. You can download a free trial of the game at http://www.snailsgame.com and then buy the package at Handango.com if you like it!
If you aren’t familiar with the back story for this award-winning game, here’s a quickie description - “Deep in Space, there lies the ancient planet of Schnoogie. On the planet of Schnoogie, there exist the three races of Snails: the Moogums, the Lupeez, and the Nooginz.
One peaceful day on Schnoogie, something was wrong, very wrong. It was peaceful. And Snails hate peace. When peace happens, there is no war. And without war: destruction, mayhem, and alien invasions become obsolete. Which are the three things that the Snails thrive on (especially the Nooginz). These three races have always been in a constant battle for world domination. A war which will decide who rules the planet of Schnoogie.
On Earth, it is common knowledge that Snails are considered to be slow, but this is completely untrue on the planet of Schnoogie. In fact, they can run, jump, arm themselves with heavy artillery, and hurl insults at each other all day long. The planet Schnoogie needs a ruling race, and only you can lead the Snails to victory.”
In addition to Palm OS, you can also buy Pocket PC, Smartphone, PC and Handheld PC versions. And if you get tired of playing Snails by yourself, you can play in multiplayer mode against other Snails fans on a local network (LAN/WLAN) or over the internet. Snails for Palm OS retails for $9.95 (same price for the Pocket PC and Smartphone versions).
And Speaking of Pre-Ordering…
If you are of the Palm OS persuasion, you know that the Sony CLI? line is always innovative! The SonyStyle.com website is now showing three new CLI?s, but the only one that really caught my eye was the new TH55 Color CLI? Handheld (PEG-TH55). This $399.99 device comes with integrated WiFi (but no Bluetooth…), a 480 x 320 pixel display capable of showing 65,536 colors, a built-in 310K pixel digital camera with 2x digital zoom, a built-in MP3 player, and a video player that is compatible with QuickTime and MPEG1 movie formats.
The TH55 runs on Palm OS 5.2 and comes with a huge pile of software. And if you register your new TH55 online, you get a free download of Documents To Go Professional Edition 6.0! Now if they could just add an integrated keyboard, Bluetooth and drop the price about $100…
HP iPAQ 6000 About To Ship?
Pocket PC Italia has published some pictures and specs of the rumored HP iPAQ 6000:
The specs look great! If the price is right, this could be my next Pocket PC Phone!
? Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition OS
? Texas Instruments OMAP 1510 CPU
? 64 MB RAM / 64 MB ROM
? 3.5″ transflective display
? SDIO slot
? GSM/GPRS, quad-band 850/900/1800/1900
? Bluetooth 1.1
? 802.11b WiFi
? 1800 mAH removable battery
? IrDA and USB
? Removable flip cover
? 11.7 cm x 7.4 cm x 1.8 cm
? 185 grams
And it appears that this device is getting close to shipping! Tek ‘n Toys has the iPAQ 6000 available for pre-order. They don’t list a price, and their photo shows the 6000 with an integrated keyboard (drool!), but if you’re so inclined you can get on the pre-order list and then decide when the device is actually announced. Click here to visit the pre-order page.
Ham Radio and PDAs
Although I really don’t do too much in the hobby of amateur radio these days (I prefer the commercial wireless services, thank you very much…), I still visit some ham radio sites on occasion. I was pleased to notice that the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) website had an article about ham software that’s available for Pocket PCs. If you’re a radio amateur and Pocket PC owner, be sure to read this article for more information:
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/01/30/1/
For those who prefer Palm OS devices, check out the previous article:
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/01/23/1/
T-Mobile Selling the Treo 600
A lot of palmOne news today! They’ve announced that the Treo 600 smartphone is available to T-Mobile customers in the USA. The phone can be ordered online and is also available at T-Mobile retail outlet. Any T-Mobile customer who owned a previous Treo can get a limited time upgrade discount.
Strangely enough, a quick visit to the T-Mobile website did NOT show the Treo 600 listed under either “phones” or “handhelds”, so the press release might be a wee bit premature in saying that the phones can be ordered online.
Same OS, Different Names
PalmSource, the software / OS development company that provides the world with PalmOS and various applications, today announced Palm OS Cobalt (formerly known as PalmOS 6) and Palm OS Garnet (formerly known as PalmOS 5).
Cobalt is an enhanced version of the OS designed to create new devices for the communications, education, entertainment and enterprise markets. Garnet is an enhanced version of PalmOS 5 that is designed for smartphones and lower-end Palm Powered handhelds.
Fast and Friendly Mobile Imaging with Spb Imageer
February 9th, 2004 - Spb Software House is pleased to announce the release of Spb Imageer, a flexible photo viewing and editing tool for the Pocket PC platform, featuring one-tap slideshows, album creation, multi-threaded thumbnail generation and many other robust features.
Spb Imageer was built with two main priorities: speed of image display, and a simple user interface to access key functions quickly. In designing Imageer, the Spb Software House team focused on common scenarios that users would perform with their Pocket PCs, and optimized Imageer around those tasks.
Jason Dunn, VP of Marketing and Imageer Product Manager, explains the focus: “Rather than adding features just for the sake of adding them, we took a hard look at the top five scenarios a user was likely to perform with their pictures: viewing a slideshow, editing a photo, optimizing a photo, building an album of photos, and uploading photos to share with others. We then made sure that doing these tasks took as few clicks as possible - for instance, with our one-tap slideshow, users can take the memory card directly from their digital camera, put it in their Pocket PC, and the storage card notification portion of Imageer will pop up a window giving them several options. A single tap on Slideshow will trigger a full screen slideshow, complete with transitions.”
Imageer was built with a sophisticated software engine that can open even the largest photos - the Spb testing teams used massive 11-megapixel images on storage cards to simulate a worst-case scenario, and Imageer made quick work of displaying and editing the images, even on a mid-range Pocket PC with 64 MB of RAM. Imageer also features read-ahead image caching, which drastically reduces the time required for subsequent images to load. When the user is looking at one image, the next is loading in the background, so when the user requests the next image, it appears instantly. Without a feature like this, slideshows of large photos off a storage card would be a tedious affair.
Editing features include functions commonly required: red-eye reduction, cropping, auto-level adjustment, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, lightness and full control of the red, blue and green color channels. Adjustments can be made to the image using the blur and sharpen plug-ins. Once the image has been edited, it can be saved as a JPEG with customized quality settings.
For Pocket PCs with wireless Internet access, Imageer offers an especially compelling feature: Web album creation. By partnering with Fotki (www.fotki.com), one of the leading online photo sharing communities, Imageer users can create optimized versions of their photos, and upload them to Fotki, all with a few clicks. If users don’t have a Fotki account, one will be created for them automatically as part of the uploading process. Fotki offers free accounts with basic features, and paid options with premium services.
Album building was designed to be as simple and fast as possible - it’s possible to, with a few clicks and decisions, take hundreds of photos off a storage card and create an optimized album, small in size and easy to share with others. Imageer supports all the common imaging file formats, including JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and PNG.
Spb Imageer is available in the following localized languages: English, Italian, Spanish, and Russian. French and German versions will be available shortly. A free 15-day trial can be downloaded, or Spb Imageer can be purchased for $14.95 USD, from www.spbsoftwarehouse.com. Owners of any Palbum product can upgrade to Imageer for $7.50 USD. Further details are available at the Spb Software House Web site.
Expect a detailed review of Spb Imageer on PDAntic.com soon!
PDAmill releases GameBox Asia
PDAmill, the developer of highly popular game packs has just released their latest GameBox title, GameBox Asia. It is a high quality, authentic collection of three famous tile games of the Orient. Incredible graphics, authentic Chinese tile sets and boards, smooth animations and visual effects, a fantastic oriental soundtrack, realistic sound effects, and incredible playability combine to make this the best possible tile game for your Pocket PC.?Read more on www.pdamill.com
Features
Three classic games: Mahjong, Shisen-Sho, and Nagori.
Multiple Board Layouts: Over 50 default board layouts.
Three different tile sets: Select from three unique tile sets.
Tournament Mode: Test your skills to complete 28 levels of increasing difficulty.
Multiplayer: Challenge a friend to see who can match tiles faster.
Free Mode: Play the game at your own pace to practice for the Tournament.
Unlimited Undos: Unlimited undos and replay feature gives you a chance to correct any error you make.
Ambient music: Three sound tracks totalling over 15 minutes made by Jason Surguine, Pocket PC’s most famous and (very likely) best composer.
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Joy of Tech!
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MacLevelTen
