January 2008

Skyfire browser beta for Windows Mobile
Skyfire unveiled a new mobile browser that makes browsing on a smartphone just like browsing on a PC. Smartphone users can experience the "real Web" to access and interact with any Web site built with any Web technology, including dynamic Flash, advanced Ajax, Java and more - at the same speeds they are accustomed to on their PC. Check the skyfire.com website for the private beta that supports Windows Mobile phones, both touchscreen and non-touchscreen, in the U.S. The company will introduce a version for Symbian smartphones in the coming months and other platforms and geographies are on the product roadmap. -- Posted Monday, January 28, 2008 by chb

Free WinMo 6 upgrade for Samsung BlackJack
Samsung announced the availability of the Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for the BlackJack, which is available in the U.S. exclusively from AT&T. BlackJack users can update their devices from Windows Mobile 5.0 to the new Windows Mobile 6.0 operating platform with a free desktop download available directly from Samsung. The Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for the BlackJack(TM) is available at http://www.samsung.com/us/i607/windowsupgrade. -- Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 by chb

Added two new rugged Windows CE devices
We added detailed descriptions and specs for two interesting new Windows CE devices. The Metrologic SP5700 OptimusPDA is a compact rugged handheld running Windows CE 5.0 on a 520MHz PXA270. It has an integrated scanner or imager. The Data Ltd DLI 8300 is a tablet that can run any number of operating systems, including Windows CE 6.0. It is powered by a 500MHz AMD LX800 Geode and can have screen resolutions up to 1024 x 768. Both devices are IP54 rated and can take a beating. -- Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008 by chb

NeoMagic releases smartphone manufacturing kit
NeoMagic, whose MiMagic 6+ applications processor powers the Neonode N2, announced the availability of their Windows Mobile-based Smart Phone Manufacturing Kit. The kit is designed for OEMs that wish to significantly reduce development and design time, enabling them to put feature-and-application-rich smart phones in customers' hands in approximately six months rather than the typical 18 month process. The kit comes with a complete software package, and includes a form-factor reference design, schematics with walk-through documents, the board layout with a layout guidelines document, a full BOM, the Windows Mobile BSP, a software design guide, a user's guide, complete download utilities, optimized GSM/GPRS image code, all drivers and codecs. -- Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by chb

MobiForms 4 now certified with Open-Source HSQLDB database
MobiForms announced the release of MobiForms 4.0. MobiForms version 4.0 has been certified with the open-source HSQLDB database. MobiForms includes a free copy of HSQLDB for server, standalone or mobile database applications, complementing the MobiForms Developer tool and the Mobiforms runtime interpreter. MobiForms offers all the tools in one "box"for the creation and deployment of any type of mobile application - from surveys to field service, from signature capture to bar coding. -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

How to Customize SPB Mobile Shell
You have no doubt heard the aphorism “be careful what you wish for because you just may get it.” Well, my first encounter with SPB Mobile Shell (SMS) was as a pre-installed bonus on a Pharos 600 GPS unit. [Read Tim Hillebrand's How to Customize SPB Mobile Shell] -- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2008 by chb