Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Leading up to the launch of WinMo 6.5 on October 6, AT&T will be opening up their WiFi access at 20,000 AT&T hotspots across the USA, including Starbucks. This should begin to happen on Monday, September 14 with Samsung based WinMo phones with others to follow soon after. Most AT&T customers with a WinMo phone should benefit from this as most have a qualifying data plan.

This mirrors what T-Mobile had for their users, which was nice when T-Mobile controlled the Starbucks hotspots.

Check out this map for a complete listing of AT&T hotspots, and see the WMExperts article for more details

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! Read more...

Product Category: 3.5G GPS PDA Phone

Manufacturer: Pharos USA

Where to Buy: Expansys [affiliate]

Price: $479.99 USD

System Requirements: Runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

Specifications: Qualcom 400Mhz processor, 256mb Flash ROM, 128mb SDRAM, 2.5 inch QVGA display, QWERTY keyboard, Triband (850/1900/2100) UTMS/HSDPA/HSUPA, Quad Band (850/90/1800/1900) GSM/GPRS/EDGE. GPS (with AGPS compatibility), 802.11b/g, BT2.0+EDR, USB 2.0, Cameras - 0.3mp (front), 2.0mp (rear)+fixed focus, battery is 1410 mAh Li-Ion with is rechargeable/replaceable. Dimensions: 116mm (4.57in) x 62mm (2.44in) x 15mm (0.60in). Weight is 145g (5.11 oz) with battery. Full specifications are available here.

Pros:

• Trackball has a good, responsive feel to it, but software is still not fully integrated into its existence;

• GPS is very responsive and works well with the Smart Navigator software;

• Standard 2.5mm headphone jack, which also doubles as TVOut;

• Good all around package for traveling business people.

Cons:

• Lock/power button doesn't always turn on the screen;

• Small stylus;
• WiFi has difficulty with secured networks;

• 2 megapixel, fixed-focus camera is not up to current expectations.

Summary:

Following along from our review of the 117 last month, we now present Pharos' latest addition to the Traveler series -- the 127. Similar to the 117, but designed for those who prefer the front-facing embedded keyboard format, the Traveler 127 is a full 3.5G capable travelling companion for the mobile business executive. It's not an easy market to make your mark in, as it's crowded and competitive. How does the 127 fare against the HPs, HTCs and Blackberries? Let's take a look...

Read more...

"Put simply, our hats go off to Novatel and Verizon on this one. The MiFi is drop-dead awesome in basically every meaningful way, and we'd be shocked if every top-tier carrier in the world wasn't actively looking into adding it -- or a device very similar to it -- into their lineup. Unless you have a very specific, compelling reason that you require an ExpressCard or a USB stick style modem, the MiFi's simplicity, flexibility, tethering capability, and no-compromise performance make it the way to go for your mobile data needs."

Engadget has reviewed the new MiFi 2200 wireless router for use on the Verizon network. This little credit card sized device may be the perfect companion for some of you when you need WiFi access and there isn't a Starbucks to be found.

"REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., BUSINESS WIRE -- iPass, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), a long-time leader in providing mobility services to some of the world's largest companies, today announced service availability for Windows Mobile 6 devices. Users of the iPass Mobile Office service for enterprises and iPassConnect(TM) mobility service for individuals can now connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi using their Windows Mobile 6 smartphone and handheld devices. With more than 100,000 business-class hotspots worldwide, (also announced today), iPass Wi-Fi connectivity gives smart phone users a high performance, inexpensive alternative to 2.5G and 3G access provided by cellular providers. For international business travelers, the cost savings can be especially significant when they use Wi-Fi to avoid the high roaming fees mobile operators charge for out-of-country usage."

You know at first I thought this was a good idea and then I decided to take a walk with my girlfriends T-Mobile SDA and ran across exactly 8 open Wi-Fi hotspots that I was able to connect to within an hour’s timeframe. Is a service like this even necessary nowadays? If you do need this service, you can subscribe to one iPass's monthly plans which start out at $9.95 and can get as high as $14.95 for their Global Wi-Fi connect plan. You can view their site and sign up for their services here.

"New software from TapRoot Systems can make a 3G smartphone become a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you to connect a laptop or other Wi-Fi-equipped hardware to the internet. The software, called WalkingHotSpot, is compatible with Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile smartphones. It will work with both HSDPA and EV-DO, but will allow voice calls to come through while using the data connection only on HSDPA phones. A free beta demonstration will be available for consumers to test soon, but TapRoot intends to sell the software directly to carriers, allowing them to provide it as a service. It doesn't intend to sell the software directly to end users."



The first thing that should be pointed out is that your HSDPA or EVDO Windows Mobile handset will need Wi-Fi capabilities in it for this service to work. The demo version of WalkingHotSpot, which will be available through TapRoot's website, will only support one Wi-Fi connection at a time… which I feel is pretty lame. If I wanted to connect just one laptop or computer to the Internet through my phone, I would much rather follow the steps in Ed Hansberry's Internet Connection Sharing story which was posted yesterday. At least with Internet Connection Sharing, I would not be limited to a Wi-Fi enabled handset and would be able to utilize my aging but high-speed enabled Samsung Blackjack.

The real magic however lies in the full version of the WalkingHotSpot, which will only be marketed to carriers in the hopes that they will in turn sell it to us consumers as a subscription based service. Carrier supplied versions of TapRoot Systems' software should support simultaneous Wireless Fidelity connections from a single handset and would even allow you to receive voice calls while using your data connection through AT&T's HSDPA network! While I hate subscription services like TeleNav, this program would be way to cool to just pass up.