April 2005 - Posts
For those of you who really get in to weather, you may already be using Tropic Designs Weather Pulse. If not, you really need to try this FREE desktop weather program.
The latest release is Weather Pulse 2.04.3, however they have released a beta that is version 2.05 build 18. They have really enhanced the user interface, and it appears to run much faster than previous versions (but it IS beta). For more information on Weather Pulse, go here.
For the downloads:
Weather Pulse v2.04.3
Weather Pulse v2.05 Build 18 Beta
Microsoft calls its MapPoint software a business mapping and data visualization product. But for sales people and sales executives, it's more than that. Sure it can show you important marketing and business data based on geography. But it also can help you run your routes better.
Sales people want to optimize any activity that will help them get a jump on their territories by reducing travel time between accounts -- one of the ways in which they most often try to optimize their sales is by physically trying to traverse their geographies to hit more accounts in less time. Depending on the layout of their territories, this can be challenging. Microsoft's MapPoint software makes it less challenging. By combining your own customer and prospect databases with MapPoint's enhanced visualization tools, MapPoint can help you plan your route -- whether it's local or requires air travel.
If you use a Windows Mobile device such as a personal digital assistant or a Smartphone, you can then download your route to your portable device, even have it read to you while you're on the road -- or combine it with a global positioning system to make sure that you don't miss your mark as you're driving.
Full story.
Say what? Yep, you read it right. Employees caught surfing porn at work were awarded $40k from the judge.
Norway's Supreme Court supported decisions refusing Conoco Phillips the right to fire two workers who surfed the Internet for pornographic images on company time. The two workers on the Ekofisk field lost their jobs after being caught peeping at porn on the job in the summer of 2002. The pair took their case to court and won at both the municipal and appeals level, NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) reports.
Conoco Phillips appealed the decisions to the Supreme Court in order to have a clarification of what employees can do on company time and what employers can do to enforce violations of company policy. The Supreme Court has ruled that the firings were not justified and have awarded the two NOK 250,000 (USD 40,000) each in compensation.
Can you believe that? Do I even need to comment?
The Handmark Kaplan Mobile SAT/PSAT-ACT 2005 software is based on the Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions materials. Versions of the software are compatible with nearly all smartphone/PDA devices and operating systems. The test preparation package works with Palm OS-powered devices, Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs and smartphones, along with Symbian, BREW and Java mobile phones.
Full article.
S
amsung Electronics and Microsoft Corp. have announced an alliance to elevate gaming to the next level through high-definition technology. Microsoft has chosen Samsung as the exclusive HDTV worldwide marketing partner for the next-generation Xbox high-definition (HD) gaming platform. The announcement was made at the Home Entertainment Expo at the New York Hilton.
The next-generation Xbox/Samsung HDTV combination is designed to deliver the most advanced and realistic high-definition experience to gamers worldwide. To promote the HD Era, the companies plan to place over 25,000 Samsung high-definition televisions in Microsoft Xbox retail kiosk locations across the globe.
Following the successful launch of their PDA-phones the Xda IIs and Xda II mini in India in December 2004, all eyes are now turned to the latest Smartphone from O2, the premium mobile data devices and service provider. The O2 Xphone II joins the Xda IIs and Xda II mini to provide India’s professional users with greater choice in powerful and stylish mobile productivity devices that can facilitate their work and enhance their social needs.
At only 102 grams, it is the slimmest Smartphone in the market, claims a company release. Even as its size rivals those of regular mobile phones, information displayed on the O2 Xphone II is showcased on a comparatively larger 2.2-inch, 65K-colour TFT-LCD screen that is now brighter and with higher contrast. A graphite-colored, ridged keyboard is provided to compliment the phone’s black casing, the release informs.
First rolled out in Mumbai and Delhi, this device from O2 is now available also in other major cities like Chennai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
And in those results…
Mobile and Embedded Devices revenue grew 31% over the prior year as Windows Mobile(TM) products experienced strong demand. Windows Mobile license sales for connected devices were more than double prior year levels while the Windows Mobile software platform continues to experience strong momentum with developers. There are currently over 380,000 active Windows Mobile professional developers and over 18,000 Windows Mobile applications.
At its Automotive Summit in Detroit, MI Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit announced the official name of its telematics software platform and reference design. Previously referred to by its code name T-box, Windows Mobile™ for Automotive will be available in 2006 and become the latest addition to the Automotive Business Unit’s family of products.
According to Microsoft, Windows Mobile™ for Automotive will help automakers and suppliers develop a quick-to-market, low-cost in-car solution, fulfilling an industry need for a consumer electronics gateway that delivers a range of benefits to OEMs, suppliers and ultimately drivers and passengers. It will allow the automotive industry to utilize a standardized hardware reference design and complete software stack to significantly reduce cost, complexity and time to development for telematics systems. Similar to how automakers build several car models off of the same chassis, Windows Mobile for Automotive will allow them to develop telematics systems with varying features and functions based on a software stack and reference design that can be re-used in different models.
Full story
here.
Finding the right mobile solution is not easy. That's why Microsoft has partnered with a number of systems integrators to provide a simple route to deploying, managing, and supporting successful large-scale mobile solutions.
April 2005
A growing number of businesses today regard messaging systems as mission-critical systems. For this reason, companies place strict reliability and availability requirements on their e-mail systems. Equally important is the heightened for demand mobile messaging. An increasingly mobile work force and more geographically dispersed businesses mean that user requirements are continually evolving. All of these factors place demands on Information Technology managers and system architects, who are charged with designing highly reliable, secure, and consistently available messaging systems that meet users' needs.
To design a successful Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 mobile messaging solution, you need to understand the capabilities of the software and hardware upon which you build your messaging system.
This guide is designed for organizations that use Exchange 2003. It focuses on configuration changes for the Exchange 2003 infrastructure for direct synchronization to Windows Mobile-based devices.
While many cities are rolling out free wi-fi services, many vendors (including Verizon), are fighting it. Wonder why that is?
Verizon Communications Inc. is turning off the free wireless Internet access it beams from New York City telephone booths for DSL subscribers who use laptops away from home or the office. The company revealed the decision on Wednesday as its Verizon Wireless unit announced plans to accelerate the deployment of a fee-based cellular Internet service in the New York area. The free service, which will be phased out over the next two months, was provided by installing short-range Wi-Fi transmitters in hundreds of telephone booths starting in May 2003.
Some day, companies will get back to their roots and put customers first.
According to an HP Customer Advisory, the Westtek ClearVue Office Suite on the Companion CD of the HP iPAQ Pocket PC hx2000 series handhelds incorrectly states that the CD has a trial version of the software. Only the text in the CD Wizard is incorrect; the full version of the software is included.
I blogged earlier on the Westtek product as an excellent PDF reader replacement. Looks like hx2000 series handheld owners are in luck. They don’t have to pay for it.
Are you an old Palm device user? Do you have your favorite apps for the Palm that you just don’t want to give up? Is that the primary reason you have for not switching to a Pocket PC? Go ahead, take the plunge. I have just the app for you.
StyleTap Platform for Windows Mobile yesterday announced the availability of their new product. This product allows applications originally written for Palm OS handhelds to run on Windows Mobile devices.
"With this product, users who decide to migrate from a Palm OS® device can keep running their favorite applications. And for the first time, existing Windows Mobile™ PDA users can access the vast array of popular, proven Palm OS® applications," said Gregory Sokoloff, CEO and co-founder of StyleTap Inc. "This is the first of a family of StyleTap™ Platform products that will extend this capability to other handheld operating systems such as Symbian OS™. StyleTap™ Platform is based on the idea that the same application software should run on many different kinds of handhelds, regardless of operating system. This not only benefits handheld users, but also allows developers to target a much larger customer base."
StyleTap™ Platform preview version is now available for a free 14-day trial. To download click here.
You can also purchase the preview version for the special introductory price of $29.95 (US). This price includes a free upgrade to StyleTap™ Platform version 1.0 when it becomes available.
http://www.styletap.com/index.html
There’s an article posted on Eweek detailing groups trying to develop guidelines to define spyware. I don’t get it. The opening quote reads “Even as the menace grows, security vendors are having increasing difficulty defining and identifying spyware, and their indecision is slowing efforts to assist frustrated IT managers tasked with keeping employees' PCs clean.” Frustrated is a poor choice of words. How can you not know what spyware is and why is there such difficulty in defining it?
“Leading anti-spyware vendors are working with the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology to develop guidelines for defining spyware.”
Why is this necessary? It should be rather simple. If there is a website or program on my computer that collects ANY information on my browsing habits WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE and can use that information or sell it to others, , I want to know about it and be given the option to remove it. If there is a website that attempts to change settings on my computer without my knowledge (and the instructions are not clear on what the website or program is actually doing), I want to know about it and have the option to cancel it. Seems companies that get “blacklisted” are appealing those listings and some companies are removing them from their databases during the appeal process, products like Gator, eWallet, ScreenScenes, and GotSmiley. Those of us in tech support will recognize those names immediately. Junk gets loaded on end-users computers without their knowledge, hijack internet explorer home pages and other computer settings (like startup programs), slow computers down, etc. Removing them are sometimes rather difficult.
If a vendor wants to load miscellaneous garbage on your computer, the install programs should tell you exactly what its doing, with the option to cancel installation. They should also be required to simplify the uninstall process if you decide you don’t want it. Putting something in small print you need a microscope to read, and burying it several pages back from the install program is NOT the answer to this. Most try to do this with an option to “accept the agreement”, but the only way you see the agreement is to click another link that’s a bunch of legal verbage with the express intent of confusing users so that they STOP reading. I wasn’t even aware of everything some programs do until I loaded Microsoft’s AntiSpyware beta. Why is it so hard to define this? Could it be some get kickbacks from the collection process?
Overview
Fixes made in this update:
Component: Imaging
Description: This update addresses a leak that may occur when viewing JPEG files.
System Requirements
Windows CE 5.0 Platform Builder
3 MB of disk space required to download, install, and operate per processor
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