Articles

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 (and ActiveSync) is coming, and that means new features for Windows Mobile. Some of them are for IT types, others directly affect you, the end user. Here's what's in store:

On the Server side:

• Block/allow/quarantine phones: That's one for the IT side.
• OTA update of Outlook Mobile: That's right, a new version of the app can be pushed to your phone. Wouldn't hold your breath in hopes of seeing this outside of a corporate environment, but you never know.
• Sync SMS: It'd been rumored for a while. You can send text messages to networked phones from Outlook or OWA access and respond from either, as well as from your phone.

On the phone side:

• Threaded messages(!): Instead of cluttering your inbox with each and every message, they're threaded by "conversations." Nothing you're not already used to elsewhere, and a welcome addition to Windows Mobile. There also are options to ignore threads or move them to other folders.
• Reply state: See which messages you've replied to or forwarded.
• Voice card/transcription: If someone sends you a voicemail through Exchange, it's transcribed(!!!) and you can play it directly in the e-mail. Very cool.
• Get free/busy: No, not like that. It's just quick way to see if someone on your network is free or busy.

Again, this all involves Microsoft Exchange 2010, through it'd be great to get some of the Outlook Mobile features for people outside a corporate envrionment. For those of you on the inside, start lobbying your IT department now.

Microsoft Technet via wmpoweruser

You can't pick one up in stores and it's not yet being shipped, but you can go ahead and drop $519.99 on the Sprint variant (the S511) of the HTC Snap at Best Buy's Web site. Of course, that's the off-contract price, and it should drop if you're willing to fork over a couple years of your cellular life.

Via BGR

Every once in awhile I come across some really neat freeware that I think you folks could benefit from.

PhoneLog is a freeware app from InfinityBall (click for more screenshots) that simply logs your call log directly to your calendar app.

This is all done instantly in the background with no noticeable performance issues--it just works seamlessly and efficiently which is the best kind of WM app.  After a call, in your calendar it will say "Talked to " with the start/end times and call duration.  The info shows up as a simple entry in your cal and you can even assign it a custom category.  

The app does require .NET compact framework 3.5 and has many configuration options such as log missed calls, all calls, run on startup and even log your text messages (!)  Very cool stuff.  Get it here.

If (for some reason) you turn your nose up at all of the completely respectable (and better than most) Windows phones out there, something chic this way comes.

On June 11, Giorgio Armani, the noted fashion designer; Samsung, the noted phone maker; and Microsoft, the ... um, noted software designer, are having an event June 11 in Milan, Italy. You'll remember that we got wind of a Windows Mobile-powered Armani phone earlier this year, and it looks like it's coming to fruition. Stay tuned for the details.

Samsung Hub via Engadget

Quick note: this is not a new ROM update, but rather one that flashes to the currently available 1.04 ROMs.  If you have a 1.04 ROM then no need to do this!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most people who have bought Sprint Treo Pro's are getting the current 1.04 ROM (see Settings --> System --> About --> Phone --> T850EWW-1.04-SPT).  However, many people who are buying on eBay are coming away with T850EWW-1.03-SPT ROMs (for a full back story on this issue, check out Dieter's write-up here).

So is there a difference between 1.03 and 1.04? Outside of 2 more MBs of RAM in the latter, no there seems to be no difference.  From forum member zbop:

I compared a 1.03 registry snapshot and a 1.04 snapshot and after eliminating all the device-specific differences, and live-state differences, I can't find anything significant. There are a few minor changes, but nothing that looks like a bugfix.

But if you have a 1.03 ROM and would like to flash it to 1.04 and gain peace of mind, then hop right over to TreoCentral where member kronium managed to finagle the file from a Sprint tech.  Score!

Hey, maybe at least now we'll start to get some custom ROM work?  Hmm...

Sure enough, it was revealed this morning at D7 that Microsoft's new search engine — excuse us, they're calling it a Decision Engine — previously known by its Kumo code name, is officially to be called "Bing," just like we'd heard. It also gives us another reason to run this killer picture. But Bing's not being touted as just another search engine. It's got goals.

Bing is specifically designed to build on the benefits of today’s search engines but begins to move beyond this experience with a new approach to user experience and intuitive tools to help customers make better decisions, focusing initially on four key vertical areas: making a purchase decision, planning a trip, researching a health condition or finding a local business.

The question remains: Will we see the Bing brand cross over to Windows Mobile? And is there any more to Sift and Swivel? News at 11. Full presser after the break.

Via All Things D

Update: Looks like there will be a mobile client. [via] But is it merely a Live Search rebrand? Or something new?

Here are WME, there are a few programs that we swear by and fall under our "must haves" and TodayAgenda is certainly one of them (others are GPSToday, Live Search, Mobile Shell 2)

For one, it's totally free and well supported.

Second, it's one of the best calendar/agenda/tasks plugins for WM Pro and completely blows away the stock calendar plugin.

Basically it allows you to completely customize how your important calendar and tasks appear on your today screen and it's very simple to use. Control the amount of content, size, fonts, colors, plugin height, etc.

More info, including bug fixes and the slew of new features added in v1.5 can be found at the developer's home site ..::TIEWS::.. or click here for a direct download.

We all know (hopefully) that on a WM Pro device you can set the Internet Explorer homepage to anything you want. But what many don't remember was Microsoft actually made a useful homepage that on a lot of devices is disabled. Reason? Many carriers (cough, Sprint) set their "portal" as the default Home Page. Blech.

Today, we'll take it back.

Why you ask? This makes PIE on WM6.x more like WM Standard. You get a search bar, plus a quick drop down list to your favorites and history. At least for myself, I tend to find this very useful.

So here's how to do it:

• Open Internet Explorer
• In the address bar, type in: file://\windows\default_0409.htm
• Menu --> Tools --> Options
• Home page --> "Use Current"

Done!

If you've been following our series "Why does Sprint not have MMS (aka PictureMail) on its WM phones", you would have known that Sprint was on record as saying they were bringing this function to their WM lineup "soon".

Well soon has come what with the launch of the much anticipated HTC Touch Diamond yesterday. It was known from the leaked manual that this device would be the first WM phone on Sprint to have native PictureMail. ZOMG.

And sure enough not less than 24 hrs after the announcement of the Touch Diamond's availability, the .cab to install PictureMail is floating around the 'nets, thanks in part to no2chem¹, well known from the ROM cooking fellas at PPCGeeks.

Click the link to see some screen shots, get the download and hear about some lingering issues before you install...

All is not great yet, however. Some are successfully installing this on their devices (including yours truly) but are getting odd "G66: There was an error trying to register your phone" errors (despite having PictureMail enabled on the account) to problems with high memory requirements. That latter part is especially pertinent to the memory anemic HTC Mogul. Users have had to reportedly shut down all their plugins and running apps just to get this bugger up and running. On the 800w, this has not been an issue.

Easter egg: It appears that there may be some type of additional functionality not yet enabled--Photobucket and MySpace support. At least the registry strings are there...

So hackers and tweakers: put your nerd caps back on and lets get down to brass tacks to get this thing running on all WM devices (that is, unless Sprint wants to lend a hand?).

¹: [link removed by Verisign's request]

We missed last weeks tip (cocaine is helluva drug), but we'll make it up you by dishing out two tips this week: one today, one tomorrow. Deck?

The first for today is really, really easy but yields a very cool look for your device: Glossy Black Bars

See, in WM6/6.1 when you try to use an all black theme (or any other that you want with black bars--those top and bottom things), you get boring old gray or the old WM5 "flat" bars, which is an interesting but dated look.

A simple way around this is to use EazyVG's simple .exe file. You just plop it on your device, choose any theme (.tsk) and then run "Glossy Black Bars.exe" and you'll device will get those shiny bars like in the pic above.

Neat, eh?

Download from the link to XDA (need to register) or just hop to our WM Software section in the forums where it's an attachment.

One topic we've been discussing here at WMExperts (especially our podcasts) is whether or not the new Mobile Internet Explorer, aptly dubbed "6 on 6", will be available as a separate download or update for current generation devices. After all, it doesn't seem too difficult, but whaddya we know?

Turns out the answer is "no"

From the Windows Mobile Team Blog, "Khush" who says he from the Windows Mobile team, states:

Regarding making IE Mobile available as a separate download or update, the rich media experiences that IE Mobile 6 enables require more powerful, advanced devices. That is why it will not be available as an upgrade or direct download for current phones, but rather will be made available on new phones.

Not written in stone of course, but doesn't look good for most current devices. Looks good though for the expected Sprint Treo Pro, which we expect early next year.

Other tidbits:

IE Mobile 6 is expected to show up in devices at the end of 2008 or early 2009.

...although this release is called Internet Explorer Mobile 6, there are components from other versions of Internet Explorer for the desktop. One example of that is the support for Jscript v5.7 which we brought over from Internet Explorer 8 for the desktop.

Of course the big news though is MS announced the emulator and demoed the new, richer MIE. So for developers or those curious, get the emulator here.

More at the WM Team Blog

Thanks Yirk!

Sure 16GB microSDs are just launching now, but why not plan for the future? Like the way, way future.

Sandisk said that they are working and planning on launching a whopping 128GB version but not for another 3 years.

Which begs all sorts of questions like:

• Will microSD actually be relevant in 2011?
• What the heck will the mobile industry even look like in 2011?
• Why tease us so?

Well hey, best of luck to you Sandisk. If I'm still alive in 3 years, I look forward to porting my giant collection of NSFW materials to my WM8 device.

Mock up courtesy of wmpoweruser.com