Microsoft seems to have suddenly realized that people like to be able to back up their mobile devices, even if they aren’t part of a corporate managed environment.  To that end they’ve released Microsoft Phone Data Manager (Beta).  The tool allows for contacts, music, pictures and video to be backed up off the device into your Windows Live account in their cloud computing efforts.

The tool depends on linking the mobile device to a computer for connecting to the Cloud, so it isn’t all that great.  But at least they’ve come up with something that passes for a legitimate use of the “cloud computing” moniker that they’ve been touting recently.

They support a number of devices beyond just Windows Mobile-powered options, which is nice.  Ironically the WinMo devices are only supported via a USB cable, while non-WinMo devices also have BlueTooth support.  A full list of known supported (and some unsupported ones) are contained here.

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By now you are probably tired of me warning people about the risk of international roaming data on their mobile phone.

But there isn’t a day that goes by without me reading about some poor traveler who went to Farawayistan, turned on his mobile phone and was amazed he was able to get "a signal".

But here is why I’m warning you AGAIN: with the new 3G iPhone (in fact, ANY 3G phone), you won’t only get 5x the speed, you’ll also be on your way to a massive bill 5x faster.

Example: AT&T charge an insane 1.95 cents per kilobyte ($19.50 per Megabyte) when abroad. Since your new shiny 3G iPhone can download on almost any foreign 3G HSDPA network, you’ll reach speeds well over 1 Megabyte per minute, which means you could be charged almost $20 per minute if you have a lot to download. I’m pretty sure most brothels would be jealous of rates like that.

(Image showing 253Mb of data transfer in the UK using an iPhone) 

Once you land, and figure you’ll just turn your phone on "for a few minutes" to see if you missed any calls, or whether you have voicemail, your phone could be downloading all 450 email messages in your inbox. By the time you reach the immigration desk you’ll have run up a $390 roaming bill (20MB of transfers isn’t that much nowadays).

So: turn OFF international data roaming BEFORE you leave the country.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Arne Hess at the:unwired is a lucky guy; he has 3 of the best Windows Mobile smartphones in his possession, and isn’t afraid to use them.

In a totally non scientific test, he took photos with the HTC Diamond, the SonyEricsson Xperia X1 and the Samsung Omnia and compared their photo qualities.

His conclusion? None of them will be replacing your normal camera any time soon.

Source: The:unwired Windows Mobile camera comparison

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The best mobile phone leaks always seem to be made with the worst possible cameras. And this leak is no different. It’s meant to show the a new HTC phone, with a Sprint logo.

The existence of a CDMA (the system Sprint and Verizon use) version of the Touch Diamond/Touch Pro was already confirmed, but this photo means Sprint is probably going to be the first to get it.

Of course, a blurry photo doesn’t necessarily mean it’s real, and it wouldn’t be the first prank photo made in Photoshop, but I’m cautiously optimistic that Sprint will indeed have this phone in stores within the next month or two.

Of course, this also means that the Sprint answer to the iPhone (the Instinct) will be "extinct" pretty soon.

Source: PPC Geeks

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AOL just released a beta version of their AIM client for Windows Mobile. The previous version was almost 5 years old and never worked right on current devices, so this new version is a welcome update. When I took it for a spin it seemed to work fine, but on my device the enter key did not act as a "send message" button, so I had to tap my screen to send the IM.

The AIM client for Windows Mobile is free, and is a great way to stay in touch with folks back home using limited data. Just keep in mind that is is a beta release, so don’t blame me if something bad happens to your device.

You can find the client here: AOL beta central

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If you thought the summer of 2008 was going to be all about the iPhone 3G, then think again.

RIM has so many goodies in store that I’m actually more excited about their new stuff than I am about the new iPhone.

The best part about most of these new developments is that they will be absolutely free for all current users (except for the new devices of course!

Here are a couple of the upcoming new features and applications:

• Blackberry Media Sync - full media syncing with iTunes for your Blackberry.
• OS version 4.5 - adds loads of new features including better fonts, a much better browser, better multimedia features (including stereo Bluetooth support for all devices).
• HTML email support for Blackberry Internet Service customers.
• The new Blackberry Bold and Thunder smartphones.

Several of these new things can actually be found right now, if you know how to use Google…

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It’s just 2 months since HTC formally announced their newest smartphone, and it’s already available from a US vendor.

CompUSA has the phone in stock for just $779.99, which may sound insane compared to a $199 3G iPhone, but the Diamond ships without any commitment or contract on a mobile operator. It’s also lower than most launch prices of previous HTC phones (Touch, TyTn, TyTNII).

But before you click "purchase", be aware that it is only the tri-band version of the Diamond, so no support at all for AT&T Wireless (voice or data) and no support for T-mobile 3G data. It’s essentially a "look what I have" phone.

And last but not least: If HTC can get a phone released this fast, why is it taking so long for SonyEricsson to release the Xperia X1?

Product page: CompUSA HTC Touch Diamond

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Tomorrow is a big day for Sprint. It’s when their newest and "most advanced" smartphone goes on sale. The Sprint Instinct will sell for $129.99 (after a $100 mail in rebate). This is quite a bit lower than the $199 I had expected it to launch for. To get the phone, you’ll need to commit to one of the "simply everything" plans which start at $69.99 (for unlimited data and 450 minutes).

Family plans (with unlimited data and 1500 minutes) are $129.99.

Over the course of the 2 year contract a family using 2 of these phones will pay $3379, which seems quite insane for what is essentially a fairly basic smartphone. The features of the Sprint Instinct match the other smartphones in their lineup (the Touch and Mogul). Needless to say, I doubt we’ll be seeing iPhone like madness at the local Sprint store tomorrow.

Sprint press release

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Sony Ericsson just upped the ante on mobile phone cameras. Their newest device is called the C905 Cyber-Shot, and features an 8.1 megapixel camera with a "real" flash.

The rest of the specifications are equally impressive:

• Included 2Gb Memory Stick
• Integrated Wi-Fi
• GPS enabled with Google Maps (and GPS photo geotagging)
• 3G HSDPA with US frequency support (only on the C905a)
• Mineral glass display
• Automatic screen rotation

Sadly, the C905 won’t be out till Q4 of this year.

Source: Sony Ericsson press release

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Yeah folks, it’s still scheduled for a 2008 holiday season release. This $500 3G enabled phone is Garmin’s first attempt at their own phone/navigator.

Of course, now the 3G iPhone has been announced, the question is whether Garmin have what it takes to sell enough of these things to make it worthwhile.

Since the new iPhone comes with integrated GPS, it almost makes more sense to just port their software onto the iPhone and sell it as a navigation package. Of course, the only problem with that is that they will be at the mercy of Apple.

Personally I hope this phone does get released, I’ve used their navigation software on my PDA before, and it really is quite good. But in the world of mobile phones, it’s a pretty tough challenge to compete with companies like Nokia and Apple.

Update: Laptop Magazine just posted a hands-on with the Nuviphone

Source: Navigadget.com

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