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Remember when SPB launched their new application SPB Online application and we wanted to see if Verizon or AT&T would pick it up? Well it looks like the Russians beat us to the punch. A company called Sky Link is one of Russians largest CDMA operators in that part of the world and will be one of the firsts to launch with SPB Online customized for their local preferences. The first device rolling out with the integration is the AnyData ASP-505 in November (and we thought the U.S. had funky names).

We Reviewed SPB Online not too long ago and came away impressed enough recommend it to carriers for pick-up, though whether it's a good buy for the average consumer is another story. I personally like the fact that Sky Link has realized the potential with SPB Online. I dislike the fact that here in the U.S. companies like AT&T will probably never pick up something like this because it would compete with their own crapware they install.

Amongst the flood of new Windows Mobile Pro devices being released, Windows Mobile Standard devices seemed to have been left in the dust. Or have they?

Windows Mobile Italy is reporting that Samsung is working on a new Windows Mobile Standard device with a product id of GT-C6620. The GT-C6620 (BlackJack III maybe?) will feature Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, have a inbuilt QWERTY thumb keyboard and a similar form factor to the BlackJack line of phones. The new phone will feature UMTS, HSDPA and Bluetooth but no Wifi. Speculation has this phone being released in Italy by the end of 2008 and other destinations shortly thereafter.

Apparently we're also looking at yet another new interface on top of Widows Mobile, too. Given that the Euro-Only Samsung i620 is needing a refresh and given that the BJII is still down pretty well here in the States, we're not quite expecting a US release yet -- FCC documents not withstanding.

All's been relatively quiet on the Viigo front of late, with the RSS reader's "Project Tango" Windows Mobile beta, well, still in beta.

For the uninitiated, Viigo is a pretty robust RSS reader that stores and gives you access to your feed list from Viigo's servers. Switch devices and your feeds follow you. No need to manually re-enter them, which is a godsend. You can also manage your feed list from a standard Web page.

In addition to being a standard RSS reader, you also get election news, weather info, sports scores — as our cousins at Crackberry.com beat us to the punch just noted, NBA scores are now available — stocks and airline information, and local classified listings.

However, a number of users (including yours truly) recently ran into an issue that kept them from logging into their accounts from the phone, thus denying access to their feeds. That issue has been fixed in a new build. Go get it here.

If you haven't tried Viigo, give it a shot. The beta's free and works on touchscreen and non-touchscreen phones. And as long as you're adding RSS feeds be sure to check out our new combined RSS feed for the Smartphone Experts Network.

Although our friends at Android Central aren't complaining about Moto's new Android focus, over here on the Windows Mobile side of things it looks a little grimmer. The new Co-CEO, Sanjay Jha, is exerting his newfound authority by making some pretty sweeping changes. ...And by 'changes' we mean cutting 'thousands' of jobs, scrapping 'dozens of phone designs' and consolidating around just three operating systems: Android, Windows Mobile, and feature-phone P2K. It looks like Moto will use Android for all their consumer stuff, relegating Windows Mobile to business. What's more, Engadget notes that they'll probably outsource their WinMo development too.

In other words, don't expect much more hidden innovation like we saw on the Silver Q9h. We also don't know what this means for the Alexander or the Atilla or, heck, the Napoleon. We figure all three are far enough along that they'll see release.

As for this potential outsourced company, no word on that yet. Whoever it is, we hope that they're able to manage that Moto hasn't yet; Namely: putting screens with higher resolution that 320x240 into their phones. [WSJ]

It's time for Software Wrangle 23 and we will look at a bunch of new, updated and free apps one last time before riding off into the sunset. Let's saddle up one last time and go out guns blazing!

This week, WM Standard new software is TuneSync for Windows Mobile and Golf Tracks Standard. Updated software includes A3VS DVD Catalyst 3 and SBSH Facade 1.4.1. The free app this week is Skyfire.

WM Professional new software are Budget Manager Deluxe and Video Poker. Updated software includes MASPware GuardMobile and Winterface. Freeware is Digital Tool List v1.0 beta.

WM Standard: New

First up this week for a WM Standard app is TuneSync for Windows Mobile by Information Appliance Associates. How would you like to sync your iTunes music with your smartphone?

At last, Windows Mobile users can have the best of both worlds. iTunes to manage their music album and a Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone or Smartphone to carry the MP3 (non-copy-protected) music in their iTunes playlists.

If you're only using your Windows Mobile handheld to manage your contacts, calendar, or tasks, you're missing out on one of it's coolest features...taking your favorite music on the road and playing while you work. That's why we created PocketMac

Just to get this out of the way: No, the Xperia X1 still is not out yet in the U.S. Yes, we're still hoping to find out next week when it will be released. Now, to the news.

Blogger David Cushman over at Faster Future brings word that Sony Ericsson is getting ready to launch a developers' competition for the X1's panel interface. The competition is said to go live on Nov. 14.

The prize: A shiny new Xperia X1.

OK, it's not quite on the same scale as the Android Developer Challenge with its $275,000 and $100,000 winners, or as sexy as seeing your app in the iTunes App Store. But you will have the satisfaction of developing for one of the most anticipated phones of the year.

The panels are interesting, that's for sure. And we've already seen SPB Software develop for it. But do we really need yet another platform on which to develop on top of Windows Mobile? And in this case, it's a platform that (presumably) will only work on the X1. Let's just hope that the WM7 team is paying attention and, er, borrowing inspiration from all the hard work going on around it.

X1 developer competition coming soon (Thanks, David, for the heads up)

It has come to our attention (thanks Robert) that AT&T has announced free access to their Wi-Fi hot spots -- for iPhone customers. In a mass text message to several AT&T customers free AT&T Wi-fi will be available at thousands of AT&T hotspots nationwide which include various airports, hotels, universities, convention centers, sports centers, Starbucks, etc. Looking at the website, the announcement comes across as an iPhone only service. But reading the fine print gives us another impression.

According to AT&T

We brought you a hands-on with the Sprint Touch Pro back in September and earlier this month we broke the sad news that it was going to be delayed a bit. Well, Sprint and HTC have finally officially broken cover by letting us know that it's really coming and fairly soon.

Here's the details:

Customers will be able to purchase the device in select national retailers beginning the week of Oct. 26 and in all Sprint sales channels, including online at www.sprint.com, 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint Stores, on Nov. 2

...In other words -- you should be able to find it this coming Monday (or, we suspect, Sunday) if you're lucky; if not, you should be set on Nov. 2nd. Price is still set at $299 after contract. We're expecting big things from the Touch Pro on Sprint -- traditionally HTC's stuff has been over-performing on CDMA compared to their GSM brethren. If that's the case with this Touch Pro, we could be looking at a real screamer.

Specs after the break, in case you forgot them. So is the press release, in case you want the official line.

Specs

• Size: 4.17 (L) x 2.05(W) x 0.70 (D)
• Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Connectivity: CDMA 2000 1X/EVDO Rev.A/1xRTT and IS-95A/B voice or data. Dual band (800 and 1900 MHz)
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8-inch VGA touch screen
• Camera: 3.2MP, with autofocus, flash and video calling
• Internal memory: 512 MB flash, 288 MB RAM
• Expansion slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible); supports up to 16 GB
• Keyboard: Slide-out five-row QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth: v2.0 with A2DP support (Stereo Bluetooth)
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1340 mAh
• Talk time: 250 minutes
• Chipset: Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz

Press Release

Bellevue, Wash. — Oct. 24, 2008 — HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today launched the HTC Touch™ Pro for Sprint. Bringing a beautiful new angle to mobile business productivity, the HTC Touch Pro uses styling and functionality similar to the recently launched HTC Touch Diamond™ and introduces a variety of business-focused enhancements that make getting work done on-the-go quick and easy.

The HTC Touch Pro is priced at $299.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement, after a $100 mail-in-rebate and a $25-or-higher data add-on or Everything plan with data. Customers will be able to purchase the device in select national retailers beginning the week of Oct. 26 and in all Sprint sales channels, including online at www.sprint.com, 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint Stores, on Nov. 2.

“People have already shown a tremendous initial response to the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint, and we are pleased to also offer the HTC Touch Pro as another choice to customers,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president for HTC America. “The HTC Touch Pro is the perfect device for those who demand the ease of use of TouchFLO 3D and the styling of the HTC Touch Diamond but also crave a more powerful mobile business experience.”

The HTC Touch Pro is a professional workhorse that allows people to balance their professional and personal lives in ways that matter most to them. Building on the strong feature set found on the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro adds a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy data entry, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1 GB card included) and a business card scanner application to automatically capture and convert business card information to the contact list using the built-in 3.2 MP camera/camcorder. Additionally, with Windows Mobile 6.1, users have access to security and device management capabilities demanded by many business customers. “The HTC Touch Pro marks the addition of yet another robust Windows Mobile device for our portfolio and demonstrates our commitment to delivering the best wireless technology today,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president of Product and Technology Development. “Combined with worry-free pricing and exclusive Sprint content, the HTC Touch Pro delivers an unparalleled user experience – all on Sprint’s Now Network.”

Sprint customers will have direct animated access to arrange their favorite contacts, photos, weather and music by using HTC’s intuitive TouchFLO 3D interface. By combining a rich, dynamic presentation with integrated multi-media features, people have the ability to graphically personalize their device with 3D animated transitions.

Lightning Fast Connectivity

The HTC Touch Pro for Sprint provides a mobile Internet experience that uses the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. With EV-DO Rev. A technology access, the HTC Touch Pro provides customers with blazing fast speeds that reach more than 253 million people, 16,986 cities and 1,625 airports and brings customers instant gratification so they stay connected to life and work fast and on-the-go. With EV-DO Rev. A, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 Kbps to 500 Kbps.

Beyond this lightning-fast connectivity, customers can also interact with their device in new ways. With the new HTC Touch Pro for Sprint, users can zoom and pan Web sites and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. Using gravity-sensor technology, turning the device sideways automatically rotates the Web page view from a portrait to landscape view.

In addition to game-changing Web browsing, the HTC Touch Pro offers direct access to exclusive Sprint content, including live and on-demand programming from Sprint TV® as well as over-the-air song downloads from the Sprint Music StoreSM and even a custom YouTube application for watching a variety of user-generated video content.

Unmatched Style With Complete Productivity

Like the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro is crafted with precision to fit comfortably in a user’s hand and brings together elegant touch screen response with the direct precision of HTC’s distinctive sliding keyboard design. A new five-row QWERTY keyboard layout makes typing-intensive tasks like composing email or working on Microsoft Office® documents quick and easy. Built-in TV-out functionality means users can deliver the perfect PowerPoint® presentation from the Touch Pro.

Bursting with Innovation

The Touch Pro delivers an unrivalled combination of features and functionality. The 2.8 inch display provides near-print quality viewing that enables beautiful Web browsing and viewing of photographs. The built-in camera includes an optical auto-focus lens that ensures the photos you take will be clear and consistent. Advanced wireless and auto sensor screen pivoting are just a few of the features that make the Touch Pro experience stand out.

Unmatched Customer Experience

Customers purchasing devices at Sprint retail locations can get the most out of their phone by having it personalized just for them before they leave the store. With Ready Now, Sprint retail associates work with new or existing customers to explain, set up and demonstrate the features and applications of their new phone.

Sprint’s Ready Now program is a first in the industry – no other wireless company offers a similar customer experience. The service is available whenever the customer wants it during business hours; however, only existing Sprint customers have the option to schedule an appointment online by visiting www.sprint.com/readynow.

To take advantage of all the great features on these new phones without having to worry about additional monthly charges, Sprint customers can sign up for the $99.99 Simply EverythingSM plan, which includes unlimited domestic calling, messaging, email, Web surfing, GPS navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV® Premier, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, Direct Connect and Group Connect on compatible phones. The Simply Everything plan is available to current customers without renewing their contract. New lines of service require a two-year agreement.

Key HTC Touch Pro Specifications

Update: And with just hours left to go in the auction, the listing has been pulled. Can't say we're too surprised. Nov. 4, here we come.

If you can't wait just a little bit longer to get your hands on the AT&T Fuze (Or Touch Pro, or Touch Pro Fuze, or Touch Fuze — whatever you want to call the carrier's release of the HTC device — one has been spotted on eBay. [via WM Poweruser]

The auction ends Monday at 9:04 p.m. EDT/6:04 p.m. PDT and was at $400 at the time of this writing. That'd be more than reasonable for an off-contract (though we assume still carrier-locked) HTC Touch Pro. The packaging and marketing materials make it look like a full-on production device and not a pre-release unit.

That said, this is eBay we're talking about, and the first line in the description is a wee bit curious:

You are bidding on a brand new HTC Touch Pro Fuze that has been designed for the AT&T network. I used this phone for one day to test and it is a fantastic device. Unfortunately my company works only on the Blackberry platform so I can't use it for my company e-mail.

That furrow your brow a little? Caveat emptor, of course.

Even if you're not planning on bidding, go on over and check out the auction page, if only to see some new pics of the phone.

Reminder: Sprint customers can pick up the Touch Pro starting Sunday!