Product Category: Utility Software

Manufacturer: Morose Media

Where to Buy: Company Website

Price: $29.99

System Requirements: Windows Mobile 5 AKU 3.3 or newer or Windows Mobile 6, Both a WiFi and a cellular data connection, an installed and working version of Internet Sharing, 15 MB of free device memory

Pros:

• Easy to use;
• Exceptional setup wizard;
• Multiple connection options.

Cons:

• A bit pricey;
• Would love it to actively try to restore dropped data connection.

Summary: Tethering your handheld to your computer has come a long way from the days of strange connection strings, special cables, and slower than turtle speeds. WMWifiRouter provides a 1-click method for getting connected, but is it worth the price? Read on to find out!

What it Does

Simply put, it turns your Windows Mobile device into a broadband wireless router, the same kind you could buy for quite a lot of $$$. It does this by routing your cellular data connection (e.g. 3G or EDGE or even GPRS) through the device and out to the WiFi interface. Just like Internet Connection Sharing on a Windows machine, WMWifiRouter includes all the necessary components to assign addresses (DHCP) and route them (NAT) through the device. Windows Mobile does not have a simplistic networking design by a long shot. It features a fairly robust TCP/IP stack and thus supports things like non-traditional routing setups. The problem has always been exploiting that in a way that is easy for the end-user (you or I) to use. WMWifiRouter packages all of the bits and pieces up, and lets you quickly configure your network and start it easily. Assuming that your carrier or data plan allows tethering, you then have a running WiFi router to your cellular data connection.

Figure 1: The connected screen, showing status of the router.

Connection Setup

I discovered WMWifiRouter while on a train. Literally while wondering if such a polished product existed, I ran a quick search and downloaded the CAB file from their website. Upon running it, I was presented with an extremely nice setup wizard that walked me through the entire process of setting up the connection. I could choose the SSID or wireless router name, set a WEP encryption key to keep others out (or at least make it harder for them to get in), and configure other options. Each option had a nice description of what it did, which I thought was nice for individuals who aren’t quite sure what each item may mean to their networking setup. After Setup, I clicked on the Cellular to WiFi icon on the homescreen, and got the screen shown in Figure 1. After about 30 seconds of it updating the status (telling me what it was doing), it was ready to go. I fired up my iPod Touch and found my new network, plugged in my WEP key, and was off and running
This was originally posted at Pocket PC Thoughts, check out the the source for discussion.

“If you want to get HD in your handheld, NVIDIA’s Tegra processor is the hot way to do it at the moment, and we’ve got reasonably concrete sounding rumors from disparate sources that a handset containing one of the chips is currently under development by a “top five” smartphone builder (we’re guessing it’s not Apple)”

What really is a “top 5″ manufacturer? Is this sorted alphabetically? If so then I really need to get my “AAAdvantage Manufacturing” subsidary up and running… All kidding aside, NVidia’s Tegra may be an interesting addition with Windows Mobile rumors swimming around it.

This was originally posted at Pocket PC Thoughts, check out the the source for discussion.

“Following the global success of the inituitive drag and drop mobile application development tool MobiForms Developer, the team at MobiForms are proud to announce the release of the MobiForms Advanced edition. The MobiForms Advanced edition includes the MobiForms Developer and the new MobiForms Sync Server. The MobiForms Sync Server (MSS) is a complementary tool to the MobiForms Developer offering a true offline wireless store and forward capability with sophisticated online synchronisation, replication and offline data buffering.”

The latest release from MobiForms allows devices to connect to a variety of databases through a dedicated MobiForms server system. Rapid application development plus over the air database access can put together a mean package on the handheld!

title="Read the full story on the Jon from PPCT site."

href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/92390/mobiforms-latest-release-adds-more-to-mobile-database-sync.html" >Read More at Original Site
(continue reading…)

“Imagine if web sites could provide you with customized information based on your current location, even if you don’t have GPS. Today we’re launching the Gears Geolocation API for mobile and desktop browsers, while two third-party developers are launching the first location-enabled web apps using this API on Windows Mobile. One of the most popular travel sites in the Europe, lastminute.com, has now location-enabled their new mobile restaurant finder to help you find restaurants near you without requiring you to type in where you are. If you’re in the UK, just go to fonefood at m.lastminute.com, click the “Find your location” link on the home page, select the type of restaurant you want, and lastminute.com will automatically work out which neighbourhood and city you are in and find matching restaurants.”

Google Gears continues to evolve, and now with the ability to integrate location based information to Gears based apps, a step closer to taking all the information your handheld can handle and merging it together for useful purposes has been taken. I wonder if the next multimillionaire will be someone who monitors police band radio, enters up-to-the-minute speed trap information into a database, and beams it to my handheld as I drive! Of course they’d remember where they got the idea when they’re sitting at the top

title="Read the full story on the Jon from PPCT site."

href="http://feeds.pocketpcthoughts.com/~r/pocketpcthoughts/~3/375563770/google-gears-api-now-does-geolocation.html" >Read More at Original Site
(continue reading…)

“HP today announced the first shipment date of the HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger, a 3G smartphone designed for maximum mobile productivity to a global audience at the HP Connecting Your World conference. The HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger shines with a stylish, glossy, piano-black design and features an integrated QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system and the latest wireless technologies,(1) to simplify the complexities of business and personal life. The feature-packed HP iPAQ 900 Series offers voice and mobile email communications, along with support for critical business applications. It uses tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless technology to allow customers to make calls(2) and quickly access the Internet around the world, while integrated BluetoothTM and Wi-Fi wireless technology allows for convenient connectivity. “

Ah HP, the company that everyone loves to criticize for their tardiness and odd behavior when it comes to mobile devices (it all went down hill after the 6315… 4 years ago…). Anyway, they’re apparently shipping their iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger (A.k.a. a Pocket PC Phone) now, and it doesn’t look half bad. WM 6.1, Modern design, Wifi / bluetooth / GPS / GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA / EIEIO (OK, joking about the last one…) and a 3 Megapixel camera. If it is actually shipping, that’s a good thing.

Press release after the break.

HP 3G Smartphone Delivers Productivity On the Go

About HP
HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

title="Read the full story on the Jon from PPCT site."

href="http://feeds.pocketpcthoughts.com/~r/pocketpcthoughts/~3/309055608/hp-shipping-ipaq-900-series-business-messenger.html" >Read More at Original Site
(continue reading…)

“Visual CE 11 applications can be created for any Microsoft Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Pocket PC, Smartphone, or Pocket PC Phone Edition handheld. Visual CE Personal Edition, with full forms design, relational database, and synchronization capabilities, is priced at $129. Visual CE Professional Edition, which includes all the features of the Personal Edition as well as royalty-free distribution rights, is priced at $399. Visual CE is also sold as one component of SYWARE, Inc.’s cost saving Mobile 360 Suites, which include additional mobility tools, such as mEnable® wireless connectivity software, Report CE® reporting and printing software, and sqlceEnable (TM) SQL Everywhere supporting software.”

Visual CE 11 ofers software installation to storage cards, locking down the handheld by hiding the start menu, password editing masks, and phone dialing as well as other new features. SYWARE offers royalty-free distribution rights for $399, which isn’t too bad as far as development costs go!

title="Read the full story on the Jon from PPCT site."

href="http://feeds.pocketpcthoughts.com/~r/pocketpcthoughts/~3/304196555/syware-releses-visual-ce-11.html" >Read More at Original Site
(continue reading…)

“Mobile Admin is an enterprise network administration platform that allows unified management of all IT systems from any computer or handheld device. The Mobile Admin server software is installed on a single server on the network and allows for instant management of all other systems, without the need to install any agent software on the systems to be managed.”

OK, as someone who travels and administers Windows server, I can really empathize with those that this software would help. Being able to manage Active Directory, Exchange, Domino, BES, Citrix, oracle, VMWare, and more from my handheld sounds like a godsend. However at the price of $495 per user, I have a hunch that only those with deep I.T. budgets will be able to afford this offering (And I totally understand this software is for a niche market, hence the higher price – but $495 is probably the highest price I’ve ever seen for a Windows Mobile application). It’s a shame too, because if it was around $99 for a single user license, I most likely would have bought it already…

There is a trial available, and I’m sure some of our readers have the budget and need for this software. If you’re one of them, let us know how it is!

title="Read the full story on the Jon from PPCT site."

href="http://feeds.pocketpcthoughts.com/~r/pocketpcthoughts/~3/281624070/mobile-admin-4-0-gives-aide-to-travelling-rich-system-admins.html" >Read More at Original Site
(continue reading…)

“Socket Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCKT), dba Socket Mobile, Inc., an innovative provider of mobile productivity solutions, today announced a new line of products to be built with an antibacterial plastic targeted toward healthcare and other markets that involve hygiene-sensitive environments. The first product combination to debut in the new line is the SoMo