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Elecont Software has added solar alerts to it's Elecont Weather application. The new alerts report current outdoor solar activity and predicts the UV index for the next 48 hours. Elecont Weather will display an alert in case the solar activity and UV gets too high.

UV index and alerts are available for more than 51,000 locations worldwide. The addition of solar alerts to Elecont weather will be a welcome addition for those with sensitive skin or other issues that require avoiding overexposure to the sun. Elecont Weather with Barometer and Solar Alerts can be found over at the WMExperts Software Store.

An interesting question coming from a Web site dedicated to Windows Mobile, right? While we believe Windows Mobile headed in the right direction, you could make the argument (and, yes, many do) that it's stagnant, stale, and on it's last leg.

With the glowing (almost nauseating) success of Apple's iPhone, the ever present Blackberry, pesky Nokia Symbian OS as well as the new kids on the block Android and Palm Pre the smartphone arena has gotten crowded. Does Windows Mobile have enough staying power to last?  Whats the future hold for this OS?

One potential factor in WinMo's survival rate is the number of phones that are on the way to market. Arguably, one of iPhone's strengths is that there's only one iPhone. There are dozens of Windows Mobile phones on the market plus two versions of the OS. Would Windows Mobile be more successful if there were fewer choices?  What about a hybrid between WinMo Pro and Standard?

Well here's your chance to sound off on what you think the future holds for Windows Mobile. Head on over to this forum discussion and tell us what you think the future holds for Windows Mobile.  To help motivate you, we'll be giving away copies of Vito Technologies Communications Suite to ten randomly selected posts. Posts made between now and 5:00pm EST on Wednesday, July 29th will be eligible for the drawing. You do have to be registered to post in the forums, which is an easy process that starts here. 

Thanks to Vito Technologies for sponsoring this post and providing the software prizes.

The biggest stories from you favorite team of Smartphone sites - it's the best of SPE!

• Google Offering New Payment Options in Android Marketplace
• Pictures of Low-end Android Phone, HTC Click, Pop Up
• How to Install HTC Hero's "Sense UI" on a T-Mobile G1

• BlackBerry Storm 9550 Caught in Action
• BlackBerry Tour Charging Pod Now Available
• Editors' Picks: First Five Apps to install on your BlackBerry Tour

• Hands-on first impressions of the AT&T Nokia Surge
• Nokia E72 clears the FCC
• S60 browser still a very compelling mobile browser

• WebOS 1.1 for the Palm Pre Now Available, iTunes Sync is BACK
• How Palm Re-Enabled iTunes Sync
• Installing Homebrew Apps: Desktop Drag 'n Drop, On-Device too

• iPhone 3GS - One Month Later
• Apple Financial Results: 5.2M iPhones Sold in Q3, 45M iPhone/iPod touch Sold to Date
• How To: Troubleshoot iPhone 3.0 Battery Life Problems

• Hands-on with the Verizon Ozone.
• Google Maps gets update, layers.
• The HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian for AT&T.

We've been hoping that after a couple of days Best Buy Canada would realize there's a mutant Touch Pro 2 on the loose, but no dice. So, here you go. The Telus version is now available for $249 and the standard 36-month contract. Good luck finding a square case.

Via BGR

There's been a good amount of speculation over what exactly will go into Microsoft's upcoming retail stores — and, rightfully, there's been a bit of laughter over the reported strategy of not actually selling anything. Then there's the report that Microsoft plans to set up shop right next to Apple stores in a few cities.

Gizmodo just scored a leak from the design company that reportedly is bringing all this together:

Essentially, Microsoft is taking the best elements from the Apple Store, Sony Style and other "flagship" stores. The main focuses are going to be Windows 7, Xbox, PCTV (Windows Media Center) Surface and Windows Mobile, revolving around this concept customer they call "Emily," who's basically a younger version of your mom, since they make all the buying decisions.

And, above, we see the concept for the Windows phones display. Nothing earth-shattering there. We're all used to seeing phones lined up like that in carrier stores. (And try not to read too much into the original Dash being shows as the Dash 3, m'kay?)

Hit up the Giz post for all the other deets. Including having birthday parties at the store.

Yeahhhhhh. So that Samsung Omnia II we saw make its way through the FCC probably isn't destined for AT&T after all. See, while the one tested by the feds indeed has AT&T's flavor of GSM, the general consensus now (among ourselves, Engadget and wmpoweruser) is that it's headed to Latin America. Perhaps the I8000L model number and, well, the Spanish on the FCC label should have given it away.

But judging from the reaction in the comments to the Omnia II's UI, not everybody's going to be heartbroken.

We have learned that effective July 31, 2009, AT&T will be changing how they charge Data Pay Per Use. Currently, AT&T is charging $.01 per kilobyte of data. The new rate will change to $2 per megabyte or (if my math is correct) $.002 per kilobyte. The charge is rounded up (of course) so if you use 1.1 megabytes of data, you pay $4.

The new pricing is for new postpaid activations and existing postpaid customers who change their voice rate plan, downgrade from a Data MRC plan to the Pay Per Use plan, request the new rate, or request a data credit. The rate changes exclude Legacy Family Talk, Prepaid plans, Legacy Blue and Dobson plans, iPhone specific plans and all business plans except Business Talk and Pool Nation.

Granted if you're on an unlimited data plan this won't change anything for you.  This will help out AT&T customers who are already on a pay per use plan and might attract additional customers considering a data connection who simply want to explore the mobile data realm without committing to an unlimited plan. 

Zero1 is a new cellular service that we recently learned about that seems to have more questions than answers. Zero1's nationwide unlimited calling and data plan is reported to only cost $70 a month and on top of that you can sell the same service to friends and family and get $10 a month for each person you sell to.

Too good to be true? Follow the break for more information that may make you think twice about how much control of your mobility with Zero1.

Whoa. Welcome back, iPAQ. What you see here is the HP iPAQ K3 "Obsidian," which has made an appearance in Vietnam a couple of months after we first learned of its existence. VNExpress has it that this Windows Mobile 6.5 phone sports a 2.46-inch AMOLED touchscreen at 320x240 pixels, a Qualcomm 7200A processor @ 528MHz, 256MB RAM/512MB ROM, GPS, 3.2MB camera and WiFi b/g. So, things have been upgraded since we saw the early leaked specs.

As you can see, this one's branded for AT&T and, yes, there's a stylus. Assuming that the keyboard holds up, and it at least looks solid from here, this could well be a triumphant return for HP and the iPAQ line.

A couple more pictures after the break, and a whole bunch more at VNExpress. (And, er, apologies for Google's, um, translation.)

Via GSMArena and wmpoweruser