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Computerworld’s 11 cool new apps for the iPhone, and my stab at similar Windows Mobile apps

Michael DeAgonia in Computerworld writes about 11 cool new apps for the iPhone, saying that “it’s the third-party software that makes it rock.”

Last night, I thought that there are many counterparts offered for Windows Mobile phones that are comparable to these applications, and also worth a look: some are free and some that run a few dollars. 

As a side note, I’ll wager that Apple’s ISV community, availability of inexpensive or free iPhone apps (under $5-10 vs. a common $20 for an application) and the ease-of-use on the App Store will certainly have an impact on smartphone applications.

And now on to the quick comparison I compiled last night – please excuse any post midnite spelling or formatting errors.

Instant Messaging: The first app on Computerworld’s list is AOL Instant Messenger (free) which allows IM via AOL’s instant messaging service, and is noted as “already one of the most downloaded applications on the App Store.” 

OK, here’s one that matches up directly: AIM is also available for Windows Mobile, currently beta 2 and is also free.  In addition to AIM, there are a number of other commercial options for instant messaging as noted on the Windows Mobile Catalog.

  • Agile Messenger 3 from Agilemobile.com provides Push-to-Talk and Instant Multimedia Messaging via MSN, ICQ, AIM, and Yahoo!  (A free trial is available, $44.95 for a “Permanent Agile Messenger License, one time fee” or $11.95 for three months.)
  • imov Messenger Enterprise ($19.95) supports supports AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Google Talk and Jabber messaging systems right on your device, so you have no trouble staying in touch with the people that matter to you – even when you’re on the run. imov even offers offline capabilities so you are other contacts can send/receive offline messages as soon as you sign back on!
  • Also see IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger from SHAPE Services ($29.95) for chat via AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and MySpace IM from your Pocket PC in real-time.

Remote Control: DeAgonia says that Apple’s Remote software (free) is a “slick little app from Apple” for remotely controlling an iTunes library from the iPhone via Wi-Fi. For your Windows Mobile device, there are these applications of note from the Pocket PC magazine’s 2007 awards, with several remote media controllers… but certainly the developers in Windows Mobile could come up with a great comeback to Apple’s Remote app?

  • NoviiRemote from NoviiMedia ($19.99) that is a comprehensive remote control app that controle various pieces of your home entertainment system, from TVs to set top boxes and CE equipment like CD and DVD players. A more deluxe version allows you to customize your own button layouts and macro programming ($34.95).
  • PDAwin offers a voice operated universal remote control app ($14.95) for Pocket PC through Windows Mobile 2005 application that controls for your TV and other remote-enabled A/V equipment. “You can add 30 more devices using the Learn mode. It can recognize up to 25 voice commands for controlling a device. The application is skinnable and it also supports macros.
  • Quite slick is developer Jérôme LABAN offers a latest beta of his Bluetooth Remote Control for Windows Mobile Remote control software (free) to remotely control your PC’s mouse and keyboard to control Windows Media Player, Vista’s Media Center and other applications via Bluetooth.
  • A similar commercial app to the above offering from Jérôme is Salling Clicker ($23.95) from Salling Software.  It is an app that provides a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi remote control for your Windows PC or Macintosh.  You can download a free trial version to try it out.

Social networking: The article call out the Loopt service (free) as “one of the best implementations of social networking on the go.”  An alternative (as Loopt integrates with these services) would be to access Facebook via their mobile site (which is how I access Facebook from my AT&T Tilt).

  • Also of note: Matthew Miller pointed out on his Mobile Gadgeteer blog that “there is a new application for Windows Mobile 6 devices called FriendMobilizer and just recently downloaded it on a couple of devices to try out.”  FriendMobilizer is a Windows Mobile Facebook app that provides access to mail, profiles, updates and more.  It it supports photos, that would be a slam dunk.

Internet Radio and Music: AOL Radio (free) offers free streamed Internet radio to your phone.  Unless (until?) Pandora provides Windows Mobile compatibility, or perhaps something from the Zune team, here are a few options…

  • Radio365-Mobile 1.0 for Windows Mobile 5/6 offers free, commercial-sponsored Internet radio via mobile data or or Wi-Fi , with a free 5-day trial of their commercial-free plan from live365.  (Check with your mobile carrier else you may see significant mobile data plan charges.) The service provides artist and track info complete with album artwork.  Nice feature: it pauses and restarts automatically during phone calls. And it’s easy to install: just go to www.live365.com/mobile, or download and install as normal.
  • Pocket Radio is an online streaming radio player. available from Resco ($19.95).  They offer a 31 day free trial.
  • e-mobile radio is another online streaming radio player from the folks who developed the Pocket XM Satellite Radio player. 
  • Related is Shazam (free for a limited time on the iPhone), which helps automatically identify a song using the iPhone’s microphone. Available as a commercial service in the UK now for other mobile phone users, Shazam lets you… well… ‘shazam’ music by calling a specific number from your mobile phone for the equivalent of a $1 a ‘shazam’.  I haven’t used the service, but Computerworld reports that “After analyzing the tune, it kicks back results in seconds.”
  • The Midomi site, similar to Shazam and noted in the ComputerWorld article, lets you search for a song by singing or humming the parts that you recall via your computer’s microphone, or via text search to find artists and songs.

Tip Calculators:  Tips for the iPhone ($1.99) is simple enough for determining tips for restaurant bills (is it really that hard?) and figuring out who owes what when you dine with friends. FWIW, basic math is not that tough.  A simple tip: add the 15% tip is the service warrants it, round up to the nearest dollar and divide by the number of diners.

  • But if you must, see Tipster for Pocket PC (version 2) from Ilium Software is free and displays the bill, tip amount, bill + tip total divided by the number of people all on your screen at once. And TipCalculator by stoutbytes.com is a $3.95 quick tip calculator and has a 14 day free Trial.

Games: There are plenty of interesting games on the Windows Mobile Catalog site – including the new Gaxian Tri Ball ($7.95) and my wife’s favourite, Bejeweled 2 ($19.99), but I haven’t seen anything like Enigmo ($9.99), which utilizes iPhone multitouch as well as rich graphics, or Super Monkey Ball ($9.99): Computerworld’s DeAgonia says is “easily the most addictive iPhone application yet.”

My kids are interested in the likes of Machines at War, as well as the new Guitar Hero 3 Mobile… but the version for the Nintendo DS with fret bar is a must for our youngest.

So… What would you pick as a comparable to Enigmo or Super Monkey Ball?

If anything, low costs are interesting to see on the Apple App Store, and Texas Hold ’em is an example at $4.99 with high-res graphics, and play enabled over a local Wi-Fi network.

Of interest: Comic Touch ($4.99) for the iPhone is a very cute application.  Nothing like this for Windows Mobile AFAIK, but Plasq does offers Comic Life for both Mac and Windows platforms, allowing you create your own comics and picture albums (with your photo collection) and add captions, lettering effects text (like “BOOM!” or ZAP) and speech and thought balloons.  Anything out there for Windows Mobile that allows you to add balloons or text to photos?

On Apple’s App Store: I noted previously that I’d certainly like to see a more integrated positive experience for Windows Mobile users similar to the one-stop-shopping (so to speak) that users now get with the Apple’s App Store.  As DeAgonia notes in his article… 

“Easy to navigate through iTunes and on the iPhone/iPod touch, the App Store is skillfully designed to the point of being nearly effortless to use. Apple has even made it easy for people who may have accidentally deleted an application. Just re-download the app! The App Store will check your purchase history, see that you’ve already bought the item and allow you to transfer the file again at no cost. It’s all automatic and behind-the-scenes.”

Handango’s “Handango InHand” site offers access to apps and content directly from the phone, but I’m hopeful that we’ll see a more Windows Mobile friendly version of the new Windows Mobile Total Access site.  It would be great to have a more seamless way to search for, access, install and manage applications and files (like ring tones) than we have today. (See my post today answering a customer question for more.)

Have a good weekend.

Tags: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, iPhone, mobile phones, smartphones.

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Your questions: How do I install ring tones on a Windows Mobile Phone?

Today this question from Mary…


“I am thinking about getting a new Windows [Mobile] phone and was wondering how to install ring tones? Can I use any files? I’m also looking at the new iPhone but I read that you have to purchase ring tones for the iPhone.”


Is it ringtone or ring tones?  I have no idea.

There are free and commercial ring tones, and you can also make your own.  IMHO, Windows Mobile certainly seems easier to customize ring tones, even if the process is a little more involved than on the iPhone.  As noted in Wired magazine’s recent article on iPhone ring tone hacks, the process isn’t very streamlined on the iPhone with iTunes… 


“Users have to pay Apple $1 for a song, plus an extra $1 to convert that song into a ringtone. Of course, hackers immediately set out to find a way to generate iPhone ringtones for free. In a classic game of cat and mouse, Apple has spent the last few days trying to block iPhone owners from installing free ringtones on their devices — only to watch hackers come up with workarounds just hours after each patch is released.”


As noted on the Windows Mobile Total Access site, you can use just about any Windows Media Audio file for a ring tone, or download free ring tones from Total Access. (Click here for installing ring tones via Windows Vista, or here for Windows XP Users.)  It’s best to select an audio file that is less than 20-30 seconds in length (WMA, or MP3 seems to work fine, too).

To transfer the file to your phone, connect your phone to your computer and on Vista, use the Windows Mobile Phone Center to drag copy the ring tones into the Sounds or My Ring Tones folder on your phone.

If you receive a ring tone via email or download one via the Internet on to your phone, you can choose to save it to your Ring tones folder by clicking on the file and selecting to save the file (with Save As…) to the Ring Tones folder in your main memory.

To select a new ring tone on your phone, press Start, and then click on Settings and then click on the Sounds & Notifications icon (WM6) or on the Sounds icon (WM5):


  • On WM5, on the Ring tone drop-down menu, choose the ring tone you’d like to use. To hear a ring tone, simply wait a few seconds after making each selection. When you’ve found the ring tone you want, press Done.
  • For WM6, click on the notifications tab and scroll down the pop up menu next to Event, and select ‘Phone: Incoming call’ and select the ring tone of your choice from the pop up menu.

Tags: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, ringtones, mobile phones, customer support.

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It’s Time To Spring Forward An Hour in the US and Canada: Daylight Saving Time Arrives Sunday

Brace yourselves… it’s that time again.


That’s right: it’s the start of Daylight Saving Time in much of the US and Canada, as noted in more than 2,200 news articles today.



“Huh?  It’s not for a couple of more weeks,” one person said yesterday.


“Nope, it’s this weekend… we updated our products last year to account for the change,” I heard another manager say. (Nice to hear that the message got out. 😉


This year, DST in much of the US and Canada begins on March 9, several weeks earlier than in years prior to 2007. As you may recall, last year the US and Canada “sprang forward” a few weeks earlier than in past years in accordance with the US Department of Energy’s Energy Policy Act of 2005 that was passed into law. DST will end later than usual, on the first Sunday of November (in 2008, November 2); more details on the new DST start and end times can be found here). This results in a new DST period that is approximately three to four weeks longer than in previous years.

So what should you do to make sure that your computers are ready for the change?  If you use Microsoft Update on your PC at home, chances are you’re already covered.  The December Cumulative 2008 Daylight Saving Time and Time Zone Update for Windows should already be installed on your PC.  If you’re not sure, visit Microsoft Windows Update to check your PC and install important updates.  At work, if an IT Pro (aka ‘hero’) manages your network, chances are good that the needed updates have already been installed on your computers and devices automagically.


If you manage servers and a host of Microsoft software, visit http://www.microsoft.com/time for more details.  And visit the support web sites of any other software companies to see if you need to apply any updates – it’s not just Microsoft software that may require updates.  Keep in mind that it’s not just the US and Canada that made changes to DST and time zones: we have an upcoming change in Australia and others noted on the DST and Time Zone Hot Topics page.


In Australia, there are changes to Eastern & Central zones. Australia Eastern (New South Wales, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania) and Central (South Australia) time zones will extend daylight saving and also harmonize start and end times commencing April 2008. From April 2008, daylight saving will end on the first Sunday in April and recommence on the first Sunday in October in all states.


For a summary of the status of product updates, we recommend that customers review the information on the Australia Eastern & Central 2008 Daylight Saving Changes page.  As noted there, the official Australian Government Time web site is a resource to prepare and educate end users and businesses. 

 In most cases, customer will find that these changes have been addressed when the latest cumulative time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems was applied (released December, 2007, as noted at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942763).  Some of the updates are not specific to the Australia Eastern and Central changes and can be applied immediately; other products (for example Office Groove) require manual adjustment after application of the time zone update to the host Windows operating system.

And remember: time is a precious thing. Never waste it.


Of interest, these top news articles for daylight saving time…



[update 2:40PM] And thanks to Mary Jo for mentioning this post on her blog to increase awareness.


Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time, DST. 3,530,000 (down a million items); 6,950,000; 649,000+

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Microsoft’s Danger-ous purchase

In the news today, one dangerous acquisition was approved: Microsoft is buying Danger. 

Robbie Bach announced the news in his keynote at Mobile World Congress 2008 in Spain. Full news release is included here on MSN Money Central…

Taking steps to place its technologies in the hands of an expanding mobile consumer audience, Microsoft Corp. today announced the acquisition of Danger Inc., the company responsible for software and services powering popular consumer handsets. Microsoft also announced that several additional cutting-edge mobility companies worldwide will adopt and deploy Microsoft’s software and services.

With the acquisition of Danger, Microsoft will benefit from the company’s nearly 10 years of expertise with mobile consumers. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company provides services that allow people to keep in touch, stay organized and keep informed while on the go through real-time mobile messaging, social networking services, Web browsing and personal information management applications. Combining these services with Microsoft’s connected entertainment and mobile technologies will provide Microsoft with the tools to accelerate its work to create industry-leading entertainment and communication experiences for consumers.

Of note, Danger co-founder Joe Britt is ex WebTV and 3DO (I’m a proud alum), and along with Matt Hershenson are both ex Catapult (think Xbox Live over POTS, circa 1995).  I think that I still have Matt’s business card somewhere… ; )

Tags: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, Danger, mobile phones.

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The Bill Gates keynote (with Robbie Bach) and other CES 2008 coverage

Microsoft at 2008 International CES


Bloggers and the press are out in force at CES in Las Vegas, tonite covering Bill Gates’ keynote at CES 2008.  You can find several entries listed here.  Check out video coverage at Microsoft’s CES site and on Microsoft PressPass.


[More on the keynote from MS.com: On Monday, Jan. 7, the transcript from the keynote address will be posted on PressPass, along with an online media kit.  Click here to subscribe to PressPass via RSS.  If you are in Vegas, Microsoft’s booth is 7144 in the Central Hall of the LVCC.]


So far, it’s just like being in Vegas, but with out the 24-hour flashing neon, long cab and restaurant lines, sleepy booth jockeys and uncomfortable hotels… and all from the comfort of my own home with free broadband access. 


And much quieter, too.


Our very own MSN Tech & Gadgets has a dedicated CES page along with the their spaces blog with posts from staff in Vegas (with the first photos of Playboy Bunnies, Hulk Hogan and tasers…;).  Engadget has great coverage on a CES-optimized page for their readers.  Daisuke Wakabayashi at Reuters covered the keynote as did Joseph Menn from the LA Times, and many blogger reports from CES here. 


[Added 010708: Here’s a good summary of the keynote from first-time Gates keynote attendee Brian Heater on Gearlog.com, which also has CES product coverage.]


Todd Bishop of the Seattle PI newspaper has an active Microsoft blog and tonite provides an overview of one of the keynote items: partnerships with content providers “including one with NBC to put video of the upcoming Olympics [see below] in Beijing exclusively on Microsoft’s MSN site.” He also notes the deal with MGM Studios to offer movies on Xbox Live Video, as well as with ABC Television, the Disney Channel offering programming from their channels. 


Marc has a quick synopsis on his blog, and | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com thumbnailMary Jo Foley has a few points on Gates’ last CES keynote, which she said was ‘Long on sales claims, short on futures…’  She also notes here that Microsoft has announced a new sales milestone for Windows Vista: 100 million retail copies sold…



“The company made the announcement via an article, which includes answers to reader questions by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, published by the BBC on Sunday…”


Want to ask Bill a question?  You can pose your own questions to Mr. Gates, so to speak, as posted on tech-buzz: Billg invited readers (of the BBC News) “to send him questions about his life and career. This invitation has been extended to readers from all over the world, and the timing could not have been more apt. You can send him questions on his life and career here.” The beeb will select some of the best questions and post the answers courtesy of Billg on their website and via television.


Also cool is the announcement that our Internet Protocol Television technology (IPTV) ‘Mediaroom’ is on more than a million set-top boxes worldwide. (As Bishop notes, IPTV technology delivers TV signals over phone lines.)  No mention of any new Xbox 360 hardware yet. 


C’mon… VUDU is listing their new XL for nearly a grand US (which is what, C$99 these days?;) and will debut their new Vudu XL movie vault that will hold “up to 500 full-length SD standard movies.” (Thanks, betanews.)  Surely we’ll see some more great announcements on the Media Center front when it comes to content and home theaters, right?


Now, back to the keynote: Todd Bishop also sat down and interviewed Billg just before the keynote where…



“Gates talked about the future of technology and discussed his plans as he prepares to go part time at the company later this year. He also defended Microsoft’s year-old Windows Vista operating system from critics and credited Nintendo’s Wii game console for its approachability — saying he expects Microsoft to “match that and do better.”


[Note: IMHO, “match that and do better” for starters should equal an Xbox 360 with a much quieter fan and disc drive than I have today in my black Xbox 360 Elite.  Another note: smaller and durable is also a good thing, too: to our boy’s delight, we traveled over the winter break with a Wii in my laptop carry-on bag, which included a laptop as well, power supply in the checked bag.]

At this year’s keynote, Ian Dixon posted here that Billg and Robbie Bach from E&D covered Vista customers (over 100 million served), Window Live bits, Surface, Silverlight, Xbox Live and Mediaroom (IPTV), Samsung’s new Media Center Extender and how in the UK customers will find the “the Xbox 360 as a IPTV client.” Add to that the numbers game: 10 million members strong on Xbox Live; 17.7 million Xbox 360 consoles sold so far (as x3sphere posted here); and 420 million Windows Live users worldwide. 

And another number: Gizmodo covers the 3,600 hours of the 2008 Olympic Games on MSN in Silverlight…


“Bill Gates (and Bob Costas) announced that NBC would broadcast 3,600 hours of games from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics via MSN on the nbcolympics.com site. The video will be both live and on demand, with over 30 simultaneous live broadcasts. The cool thing is that finally, people who love ridiculous games like the hammer toss will get their fix, without upsetting the basketball fans who wouldn’t dare allow for a pre-emption.”


(Silverlight is a relatively small download: a whopping 2.6 MB which took less than a minute to install on my machine.)


Engadget thumbnailAs reported on Engadget, Zune will finally say ‘eh’ as it’s soon to be launched in Canada: perhaps I can then find some more Nash the Slash and Jane Siberry on Zune, too.  I hope that they do this before the next general election or no later than Canada Day: friends up north shouldn’t have to endure another Zuneless summer.


Todd Bishop also offers an edited transcript of the interview in his post — good reading — in addition to coverage of the keynote address here, as Gates came on stage with Slash, lately of of ‘Guitar Hero III’ fame…


“The night ended with Microsoft executive Robbie Bach challenging Gates to a “Guitar Hero” duel. After Bach brought out a “Guitar Hero” champion to stand in for him on the old Guns N’ Roses tune “Welcome to the Jungle,” Gates said he had a ringer, too: Slash, the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist…”


Mary Jo also posted that…


“the only truly futuristic technology that Gates showed during his hour-plus CES appearance was a piece of visual-recognition software under development by Microsoft Research that, some day, may be integrated into cell phones and other devices…

“I was hoping Gates would pull a Steve Jobs and say at the very end of his remarks, “We have one more thing…” and show off Windows Live “Horizon” or a sneak peek of Windows Mobile 7, or the “Pink and Purple” project’s Zune phone, or — heck, even just a glimpse of “Fiji.”


Hey, Mary Jo… it’s the early start to a long week.  Give it time. 😉

For our sons: Engadget provides a video look Guitar Wizard. Our kids are big on Guitar Hero on Xbox, and now the makers of the big hit at our house this Christmas —  I Can Play Guitar from Mattel — have this new teaching tool showing at CES.  Add to this Max is in his first year of real guitar lessons and Music Wizard’s Guitar Wizard looks like a great learning tool.  (More info here.)

More info:



Tags: Consumer Electronics Show, Bill Gates, Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft Corp., Gate, Microsoft Windows, CES 2008, Windows Live, Windows XP, Windows Mobile, Zune, Xbox, Xbox Live, Windows 7, Software, Consumer Electronics.