The Windows Phone Guy

If you are a developer, or ever needed to test, run queries or view SQL CE databases and its contents directly from a Windows Mobile device, most likely you have used or heard about Query Analyzer that comes with the SQL CE SDK.

Unfortunately Query Analyzer doesn't work in Windows Mobile 6. Fortunatley there are several solutions that do what Query Analyzer does and much, much more.

I have tried Data Port Console from PrimeWorks which is a great tool for querying, viewing and editing SQL CE databases from your PC via Activesync to your device. You can even create new databases on the fly! 

You can access a 30 day trial version by clicking here

Some of the most handy and usefull mobile websites for Windows Mobile devices are those where you can download and install directly to your device free games and applications.

Unfortunately there aren't many, but today I leave you two links to try and use in the future when you are on the go:

Smartphone Freeware - for Windows Mobile Standard Smartphones

Link: http://www.smartphonefreeware.mobi

This mobile site is a mobile friendly wm5 and wm6 Smartphones free software directory with some great gps, games, themes, medical, battery and backup applications.

For Windows Mobile Professional and Classic devices you can access:

Freecabs - WM Pro/Classic

Again here you can download free games, ebook, themes and applications for Pocket PC.

Link: http://freecabs.kilu.de/

AtekSoft has just released its newest version of WebCamera Plus v2.0, this new version can now capture no only the image but also audio using your Windows Mobile device.

This great software is still a Beta and free, nonetheless very interesting and supported by Skype.

The new version now supports Windows Mobile 6 devices and ocupies only 537Kb of memory.

You can download the new version here.

NDrive has released a great and innovative software that allows to navigate in cities using Satelite imagery from various angles making a virtual 3D world.

There are allready several european cities avaliable, and the software is fully compatible with Windows Mobile 6.

You can learn more about NDrive 3D Photo here.

 I read over at Jason's Weblog that there is a small app that allows you to remove your contact duplicates created from syncing with several PC's / partnerships.

This program was made by Paul an Windows Mobile MVP from Modaco and you can find it here.

For those of you who don't know, Blue&Me^TM, is the result of the collaboration between Fiat Auto and Microsoft.

Today I took a ride in a Fiat Grande Punto, and saw Blue&Me in action and I can tell you that it's pretty cool and very usefull.

After pairing you have access to you adress book through the steering wheel controls, answer and place calls with voice commands, and even have your SMS's read to you!

You can find out more about Blue&Me^TM here. And find out wich Windows Mobile devices are compatible here.

The The Unwired has published a great video of the one of hte latest adittion to the Windows Mobile family: the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.

This great Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Smartphone will have some great specs:

Click here to see the video

Ricardo Chaves over at PocketPT has tested a very interesting Portuguese brand Windows Mobile Professional Smartphone.

The NDRIVE S300 has Wi-Fi, Bluetooh, Micro-SD, GPS SIRF III, 2.0 MP Camera with Macro, Li-ion 1200Mha battery, 416Mhz processor, and all this with an excelent price tag: 349€ , arround $557.

The device is network unlocked and is a GSM/ GPRS Quad Band device.

You can read more at PocketPT.

Sometimes it might not be safe to carry arround corporate data on your device, but it might be usefull at the same time to be able to access it wherever you go.

UNC file shares and Sharepoint shares can do the trick because you can share files with you co-workers and browse a directory in your server, for instance you home directory.

In this article I explain how you can create a UNC file share from a Windows Server 2003, share a file through Outlook and access it via your Windows Mobile device.

STEP 1: Create a shared folder

You must first create a shared folder, and then you must go to "Web Sharing" and select the site from wich the folder shoulb be accessible.

STEP 2: Create a Virtual Directory

Afterwards you must go to IIS and create a new Virtual Directory on your website and point it to your newly created Web Shared folder.

You must also set the correct permissions. These might include, in example the possibility to browse the entire directory and sub-directories.

STEP 3: Sharing and accessing your files

Now if you have a file you wish to share you must copy it inside the shared folder and create the apropriate link to send to your co-workers.

When your co-worker recieves the e-mail in the device it should look like this.

Next thing to do is click on the url and authenticate yourself.

If all goes well and you have the needed priveliges to access that file, you should be able to download it to your device and view or edit afterwards.

I have been following closely the launch of MDM 2008 and will be trying it by myself in the near future.

At the moment there is allready a lot of information on how companies can start managing and securing their mobile devices using MDM 2008.

If you want to know more about MDM 2008 you can access the following links:

- Check out the demo

- Watch the videos 

- Download the evaluation of MDM 2008

- Read the guide on how to setup Windows Mobile 6.1 Device Emulators for testing with MDM 2008

 One of the coolest things about Exchange 2007, appart from all those great mobility features, is the XBOX 360 theme that you can use in your inbox, calendar and contacts views in OWA (Outlook Web access).

In order to apply this theme, you must first go to "Options" and then "General Settings".

Under "Apperance" select the XBOX 360 theme and you are done!

BGR (Boy Genius Report) had access to one of the first public Microsft Surface machines that was aquired by AT&T.

Has you know these tables can be used for commercial purposes, but they will also be able to interact for example with a Windows Mobile device.

You can check out some more images at BGR

If you want to know more about these Surface tables visit the Microsoft Surface website

zzzPhone.com call themselves the web's first fully customized cellphone service where you can simple choose the look and hardware of your future Windows Mobile device with prices starting at $349.

When I say you can choose the look, you can really choose things like the color, you can insert a logo or image on the back of the device and even a message!

More, you can even choose beetwen a $50 4GB hard drive, or who knows a $225000 real diamond on a solid gold case!

Lighter specs may include 7 MP camera or a water resistant coating.

If you dont get to excited and start pimping your device, you might get a prety decent unlocked device for about $500.

Anyone willing to give it try? 

Source: PCdeBolso

The long awaited Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista was allready avaliable for English instalations.

Now users that have other languages can allready take full benefit of SP1. To check the list of corrections and new additions click here.

You can download the SP1 for Windows Vista from here.

After just releasing the very interesting I780, Samsung is about to launch another Windows Mobile Smartphone.

This time it will be a full screen with no physical keyboard Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device. As far as I can tell from the picture, the i900 will sport the optical mouse / 4 way navigation that is equiped on the i780. Some more interesting specs are avaliable:

For more information you can read the source of this news: msmobiles

Due to my to my work as a Windows Mobile trainer I have been needing to have internet access at all training locations in order to demonstrate and also to provide richer exercises for trainees.

Often this has been prooved to be quite difficult so I had one idea: using a Wimo device with WiFi as an Access Point.

Luckily there are two ways of doing this:

1- Editing the registry of you Windows Mobile device, wich is not simple and could be risky, you can learn how to do it on: PocketPCMag.com;

2- Buying and installing a software called WMWifiRouter is a much simpler option, there is a theoretical limit of 252 devices, and you can try before you buy. Price is 14,90$. Make sure your device is in the compatilbility list;

I have installed WMWifiRouter and my trainees can now connect their devices to the Windows Mobile Hotspot via Wifi and do their exercises without any problems.

If you need to send e-mails to a distribution list and don't have Exchange or any e-mail distribution list software and need to create small distribution lists to send e-mails on the go, then follow this simple guide as it worked fine for me:

1. Create a new contact and name it for example "GroupList1";
2. Go to the e-mail field and add all the e-mails you need separated by semicolons;
3. Save your list (contact);
4. Open your e-mail account and on the BCC field add your new GroupList1 contact;

If all goes well that e-mail should arrive correctly to all recipients. I have only tried this using 3 recipients, so if you manage to do it with more please let me know.

Guys over at PocketPT.net have compiled a series of hacks for the Samsung i780 to help users to get the best out of this device.

Here is the list of hacks:

PPT i780 Hacks collection

• TrueVGA
• Free your GPS
• Volume Keys as slide Keys
• Scroll bars height
• Keyboard light timer

You can read the full article here, althought it's all written in Portuguese, it's quite easy to follow thanks to the images. In case you have any doubts please ask in the forum or comment this blog post.

If your are looking for quick way to edit a contact without having to go to the menu, try this:

Tap on the contact header (the area where the contact name, company and picture is displayed) and you will be immediatly taken to the contact edit mode.

Simple as that!

This is my Windows Mobile fleet.... Well I wish it was!

This photo is the result of a small comunity get toghether here in Portugal at the Cascais Shopping Center.

For you to have an idea, we where 11 people (the owners of the devices) wich gives a great ratio of 1.72 devices per person :)

Imagine our annual meeting where we have arround 100 attendees, the number of devices that day!