TyTN PDA-phone fan

Nokia N97 finally on sale

2009-06-03T01:45:00.001-07:00

I haven't used a Nokia for years, but I have to say this one looks pretty nice!

On sale through Nokia for $699, but from Amazon for $603 by clicking here.

Vivid 3.5 inch Touchscreen
Full QWERTY Keyboard (screen tilts)
32GB internal memory plus memory card slot
5.0 Megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and auto focus
Full Support for Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Very cute video from Google...

2008-07-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

Plazes - a small step towards location-based mobile presence

2008-06-25T00:57:00.000-07:00

I just started checking out Plazes, a small company that Nokia just acquired. In general their service is about the same as Twitter, giving the ability to enter (by web or SMS) a quick update of what you're doing. The difference is that they work hard to tag each update with a location.

Yesterday I sent in an SMS update saying "Playing with plazes @ STRI" where STRI is the shorthand for the office I work in. Within a few seconds the following appeared as my status:

It had my status as "Playing with plazes" but more importantly gave me a location: It parsed out the location after the @ sign, compared it to the locations that I had defined previously on the Web, and gave me map coordinates in a town in Israel.

For some reason there's no map of that town at the resolution they're showing, but that's another thing. The key point here is that they've geo-tagged me from a simple SMS.

I assume that this feature will soon be incorporated into other mobile blogging systems, including Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger. In the meantime, check it out!

Sony Ericsson rumored buying HTC

2008-06-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Rumours of a Possible Sony Ericsson Purchase of Taiwan's HTC

There are a series of unconfirmed reports that Sony Ericsson may be about to announce the purchase of Taiwan based smartphone manufacturer, High Tech Computer - or HTC. The reports are selective, ranging from a short article in a Swedish newspaper, Elektronik Tidningen to various reports of meetings with HTC being cancelled at short notice and without explanation, and although business meeting cancellations are not uncommon an excuse is usually provided.

HTC is best known for its range of smartphones and being an early developer of Windows based smartphones, although the history of how it leapt into that market is controversial. The company, which initially focused on operator branded handsets has been building up its own profile recently and started selling phones directly under the HTC brand name. The company is also reportedly working on an Android-based phone, dubbed the Dream, that will be on the market by the end of 2008.

HTC has denied the rumours, saying that they "have no truth". However, early last year, Peter Chou the company CEO did say that he thought that Sony Ericsson would make for a good partner should an acquisition occur.

Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 will be manufactured by HTC - and will be the company's first Windows Mobile smartphone. The company has traditionally stuck with Symbian based smartphones.

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/31534.php

HTC Touch Pro pictures

2008-06-10T06:19:00.001-07:00

HTC Touch Pro - announced but not yet available

2008-06-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Touch Pro Press release
HTC Touch Pro Bridges Mobile Work With Mobile Play

Taipei, Taiwan - June 4, 2008 - HTC Corp., a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today unveiled its advanced next generation business phone, the HTC Touch ProTM. Bringing a beautiful new angle to mobile business productivity, the HTC Touch Pro utilizes similar styling and functionality of the highly anticipated Touch DiamondTM and introduces a variety of business-focused enhancements that make getting work done on the go quick and easy.

“The HTC Touch Pro and Touch Diamond have created a new generation of HTC touch devices that make the promise of the one-hand, one-touch mobile Internet a reality,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp. “HTC Touch Pro is for those customers that demand the ease of use and enjoyment of TouchFLOTM 3D and want the styling of the Touch Diamond but also need the powerful mobile business experience that HTC delivers.”

A New Dimension To Touch - One hand, one touch

HTC has taken a great leap forward in touch screen innovation with its 3D touch interface called TouchFLO 3D. TouchFLO 3D provides a stunningly intuitive way to zip through common tasks like messaging, calendar appointments or making calls with just one touch. Delve a little deeper to find that your music, photos, contacts and surfing the web are also responsive to the touch. In addition, the Touch Pro includes a new innovative touch-sensitive control for device interaction.

Making The Mobile Internet Useful and Fun

With the introduction of Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, HTC delivers an entirely new mobile Internet experience that utilizes broadband-like speeds with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA wireless connectivity. Committed to improving Web browsing, HTC provides a new customized mobile Web browser that enables easy viewing and effortless navigation of Websites in the way they are designed to be viewed on a PC. As part of this browsing experience users can zoom and pan Websites with one-hand and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. Turning the device sideways automatically rotates the web page view from a portrait to landscape view.

In addition to Web browsing, the Touch Pro includes an HTC-developed, YouTube application for watching a variety of user generated video content as well as including Google Maps for mobile for mapping and traffic data.

Unmatched Style With Complete Productivity

Like the Touch Diamond, Touch Pro is crafted with precision to fit comfortably in a user’s hand and brings together elegant touch screen response with the direct precision of HTC’s trademark sliding keyboard design. Introducing a new five-row QWERTY keyboard layout that makes typing-intensive tasks like composing email or working on Microsoft Office® documents quick and easy. Built-in TV-out functionality means users can deliver the perfect PowerPoint® presentation from the Touch Pro.

Bursting with Innovation

The Touch Pro delivers an unrivalled combination of features and functionality. The 2.8 inch display provides near-print quality viewing that enables beautiful Web browsing and viewing of photographs. The built-in camera includes an optical auto-focus lens that ensures the photos you take will be clear and consistent. Advanced wireless and auto sensor screen pivoting are just a few of the features that make the Touch Pro experience a stand out.

AvailabilityThe HTC Touch Pro will be available to customers across all major European, Asian and the Middle East markets in late summer. The North American and Latin American versions of Touch Pro will be available later in 2008.

Key HTC Touch Pro Specifications:

Size: 102 x 51 x 18.05mm
Weight: 165 g
Connectivity: WCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA
Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
Display: 2.8-inch VGA touch screen
Camera: 3.2MP, with video calling
Internal memory: 512 MB flash, 288 MB RAM
Expansion Slot: microSDTM memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
Keyboard: Slide-out 5 row QWERTY keyboard
Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR
Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g
GPS: GPS/AGPS
Interface: HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
Battery: 1350 mAh
Talk time: GSM: up to 8 hours
Standby time: GSM: up to two-weeks
Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM 7201A 528MHz

Great sale price on 8gb memory card for TyTN (microSD)

2008-04-06T02:29:00.000-07:00

TyTN owners and others using microSD memory cards: There's too good a price to miss at Amazon on 8gb microSD cards on sale for only $48!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012Y2LLE?ie=UTF8&tag=tytn-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0012Y2LLE

And 4gb is only $18!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SMVQK8?ie=UTF8&tag=tytn-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000SMVQK8

This much memory makes it possible to carry around a lot of media, both music and movies, on your TyTN or other device that can take MicroSD cards. I recently got a full-length movie down to about 70mb by sizing it for the TyTN, so 4gb or 8gb makes the TyTN a pretty solid media device.

Site for mobile blog browsing: mippin.com

2008-03-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

I'd like to suggest that anyone browsing here on a cellphone or mobile device check out http://www.mippin.com/

It's a site for browsing on a cellphone that restructures sites, especially blogs and news sites, to fit well on a cellphone-sized screen. Their biggest innovation is working specifically with blogs and news sites, using RSS to get just the content.

Here's how the Harry Potter and Torah blog looks through Mippin:

Each article can be browsed and read easily, and note that the picture at the bottom is shown at a size that's appropriate for the screen.

But when I browse to the blog directly, instead of using Mippin, I see the following rendition of the blog, as written for a computer screen but shown on the cellphone:

and then when I scroll down, I see this:

All in all, Mippin makes blogs and (reportedly) news sites much easier to read.

Recommended!

Back to mobile blogging...

2008-03-26T03:15:00.000-07:00

Got to say, having tried mobile blogging both in this blog and on YouTube, I find mobile blogging on Twitter, by SMS, a heck of a lot easier and faster.... But obviously it's just shorter text, no pix or videos...

Dual-SIM smartphone (but not from HTC)

2008-01-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

The following looks pretty nice, although it's not enough to budge me from HTC. It sure would be nice if HTC would add dual-SIM to their bag of tricks!

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9847071-67.html

Haier's dual SIM card phone

Haier's booth was way in the back of one of the halls at CES, but we wanted to swing by to see if (and when) the company would be bringing its cell phones to the United States. The PR rep wasn't exactly forthcoming, but we did get a brief tour of the models the company is hoping to bring here. The most interesting of the bunch was the HG-N99, and we can only hope that it actually arrives on our shores (Haier says it is in talks with U.S. carriers).

The Windows Mobile handset may look like your average smartphone, but it ups the ante in a big way by offering double SIM card, double standby functionality. That means you'll be able to put two SIM cards in the phone, which will enable you to use the HG-N99 for two phone numbers at the same time. No, you won't be able to place calls simultaneously, but you can receive calls to both numbers at any time. While such a concept is hardly original to the HG-N99, compatible phones are pretty rare in North America.

Other features on the GSM device include support for GPRS and EDGE, a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, messaging, polyphonic ringtones, a mini-USB port, a WAP browser with Java support, and a microSD card slot.

Amazon released Kindle e-book reader

2007-11-20T03:12:00.000-08:00

Amazon just announced that they've developed and are selling their own e-book reader, a device aimed at providing a truly book-like experience reading e-books.

The most in-depth review so far is here in Time Magazine.

And of course, the Kindle is for sale on Amazon.

Make a recharger from Gatorade and an onion

2007-11-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

Can't resist posting this: How to recharge an iPod (or presumably other devices) from Gatorade and an onion:

HTC TyTN 2 review and differences

2007-09-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting review of the HTC TyTN II here:

http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/2007/09/07/htc_tytn_ii_review

It's also now been announced by AT&T in the USA, called the AT&T Tilt, here:
http://mobilitysite.com/2007/09/att-tilt/

Looking at the high points, the basic specs are:

TyTN II Hardware Specification:

Windows Mobile 6
Tilted 2.8” 240*320 QVGA touch screen
Sliding QWERTY keyboard
built-in GPS
3 mega-pixel auto focus camera
VGA camera for 3G/UMTS video-calling
HTC Home menu screen
Tri-band UMTS with Quad-band GSM/GPRS/Edge
HSDPA up to 3.6 Mbps HSUPA
ROM 256MB and RAM 128MB
360 degree 3 way jog wheel paired with OK button
microSD card slot
WiFi 802.11 b/g , Bluetooth 2.0
TouchFLO Technology

The biggest differences from the HTC TyTN (first model) seem to be GPS, TouchFLO technology (although not as complete as on the HTC Touch), Windows Mobile 6, improved camera (3mp with autofocus), faster data connectivity (HSDPA/HSUPA), and the keyboard tilt.

IMHO, the most important of these are GPS, TouchFLO, and camera quality. GPS is simply nice to have, the the review goes into some detail there. Camera quality is important, since I've written before that the TyTN has limitations as an always-with-you camera. As for TouchFlo, it's not clear now much they've included, but any improvements to the interface are good.

Enjoy! Comments welcome, especially links to additional info on the new device!

New TyTN 2 video from another blog

2007-09-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

This just in from Tracy and Matt's blog, a good blog for early coverage of new projects:

The new HTC TyTN 2 has arrived to the market.

This video doesn't show it being used, but shows what it looks like coming out of the box.

I'll post more here when there's coverage of the device in action...

HTC TyTN 2 details released

2007-08-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

HTCclub released specifications (here) for the HTC TyTN II, but then took them down at HTC's request.

But bloggers such as MobilitySite write (here) that the device will include the HTC Touch's TouchFlo technology, and built-in GPS.

Other less important features (in my opinion) include a 3mp camera and a business card scanner.

Looks nice!

Funny parody of Microsoft zunePhone

2007-08-26T01:54:00.000-07:00

Very amusing, thought you'd all enjoy this...

Second iPhone look: one-handed multi-touch

2007-07-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

I just posted a second iPhone clip on YouTube here. While the speed and graphics still seem amazing to me, it's worth noting the difficulty I had with multi-touch when using one hand.

Bottom line, I'll stick with my TyTN for now. Although I'm curious about a future HTC Touch with touch interface on a TyTN... (come on, HTC, let's see it...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfItpe6TeLs

A TyTN-user's perspective on the iPhone

2007-07-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

I saw an iPhone last week in an Apple Store in the USA, and I have to say I'm impressed. But not interested in buying one.

I put a short video clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN1ngdB3S5g

Technically, the biggest deal about the iPhone is the quality of the graphics, not just the resolution, but the amazing speed of response. Scrolling feels like scrolling, 3d effects look fantastic. Screen response is instantaneous. And let's face it, on my TyTN and on other Windows Mobile machines I've seen, it's nowhere near as good.

Most other cool features are a consequence of this -- multi-touch, touch-and-rub scrolling, and so on. The soft keyboard is very cool with pop-up balloon-letters showing what you've typed. And the zooming browser is nice. All are consequences of blinding-fast high-resolution graphics.

But I'm not interested in buying one, because I like the TyTN's keyboard too much, and also like 3g connectivity too much. But if HTC can come out with a version of the HTC Touch with graphics as high-resolution and quick-response as the iPhone, with the HTC-style keyboard and 3-g, I'll be very tempted.

Yahoo OneSearch - very good but not revolutionary

2007-03-29T03:25:00.000-07:00

I just tried Yahoo's OneSearch mobile search system at http://m.yahoo.com

In general, it seems like a decent mobile search system. But it doesn't seem anywhere near as revolutionary as they describe in articles like this and this. When I put in a search query, I got a list of links. It was a well-structured list of links, roughly 3 screens of scrolling on my TyTN, combining web links, mobile web links, pictures, etc. But it wasn't what they claim, which is "instant answers with no need to sift through a bunch of links."

To be clear, I bookmarked it, and I think it's a good mobile search system. But when they build it up with the "get answers instead of links" kind of pitch, it's disappointing when they don't deliver what they pitch, even if what they delivered is good.

The URL above also has links to Yahoo's other mobile systems, such as mail, address book, calendar, directions, financial info, etc.

Mobile webmail on TyTN and other Windows Mobile devices

2007-03-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

I've been impressed lately with the improved quality of webmail interfaces for the TyTN and other mobile web browsers.

For my primary e-mail account I definitely prefer POP3, but for other addresses that I don't use as often, or if I want to selectively delete messages from the server, the mobile browser based webmail systems are getting much better.

Yahoo: http://us.wap.yahoo.com/p/mail?_dm=0
Hotmail: http://www.hotmail.com (redirects)
GMail: http://gmail.com/

there's also mobile browser access to MSN messenger and other MSN services at:
http://mobile.msn.com

Getting better and better!

Comments welcome...

Yahoo Go now on TyTN and other HTC Windows Mobile 5 devices

2007-03-08T02:23:00.000-08:00

Yahoo and HTC just announced Yahoo Go mobile application suite for HTC Windows Mobile devices. An article from NewsFactor is below.

More information about Yahoo Go is available by clicking here.

News articles claim that the biggest use will be for e-mail. I use Yahoo e-mail through my TyTN's regular POP mail client, and while I've thought of using another client, I'm curious what advantage there will be to reading Yahoo e-mail through Yahoo Go.

Comments welcome.

Yahoo and HTC Ink Windows Mobile Deal
By Elizabeth Millard - March 7, 2007 9:50AM

Yahoo's partnership with HTC, the result of which will put Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0 on millions of Windows Mobile smartphones, will come as great news for those looking to access Yahoo while on the move. Of all the Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0 services, it is likely that the most compelling will be e-mail, said IDC senior analyst Chris Hazelton.

Yahoo has struck a deal with High Tech Computer (HTC), a Taiwan-based provider of Windows Mobile smart devices. The partnership will lead to HTC preloading and distributing Yahoo's mobile software on millions of HTC products.

Yahoo's mobile services include mail and search, as well as Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0, an application that lets users personalize their devices with Web content. Customers using the HTC devices will be able to create personal channels for e-mail, maps, news, sports, finance, photo sharing, search, and entertainment through the use of widgets.

In addition to announcing the deal with HTC and effectively landing on many Windows Mobile-based devices, Yahoo is aggressively touting the benefits of its Go 2.0 software.

Go Go Gadget

The company noted that expanding the service to Windows Mobile will allow consumers to use it on 75 different devices from various manufacturers. In total, the service will be supported by more than 175 mobile phone models, according to Yahoo.

Earlier this year, Yahoo noted that it had inked deals with other mobile handset makers, including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and LG Electronics.

Consumers have been asking for Go 2.0 for Windows Mobile devices since the service launched two months ago, said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of connected life at Yahoo, in a statement.

Key features of Go 2.0 include oneSearch, an application designed to recognize the intent of a search query and produce results grouped by subject. A Local & Maps widget gives access to directory information for U.S. businesses, and a Flickr widget lets consumers share photos more easily.

Mail Call

Of all the Go 2.0 services, it is likely that the most compelling for consumers will be e-mail, said IDC senior analyst Chris Hazelton. "Mobile e-mail has been more of an enterprise play, but with this move by Yahoo, it will be pushing e-mail to consumers," he said. "Mobile e-mail for consumers has become the killer app."

Currently, on mobile devices, users can get e-mail by accessing the Internet, he added. Yahoo's service will allow consumers to get e-mail pushed to them directly rather than having to go through those extra steps. E-mail could also become more popular for consumers who are avid about text messaging, Hazelton said.

"Text messaging is a whole other animal," he said. "Often, users are getting charged per message, if they don't have unlimited plans. That's something mobile operators are not willing to reprice because they're making so much money. But for users, doing e-mail is a way around that."

Sundance short films made for mobile devices

2007-02-18T01:41:00.000-08:00

The Sundance Film Institute commissioned six independent film makers to create short films made specifically for mobile devices. The films were released last week at the 3GSM conference in Spain.

A promotional video for the project is here, and a CNET article on the project is here.

Sundance set up a system for downloading the films to mobile phones by sending an SMS message with the word "FILM" to +44-762-480-7811. But when I tried this from my TyTN, I was unable to download the films over the link that I received in return. If anyone is able to access the films through Sundance's system on their TyTN or other Windows Mobile device, please post details as a comment to this message.

After a little effort I found the following URLs for accessing the films directly, which you can enter in your device's browser:

A Slip in Time: http://e-clips.mobi/zr/videos/A_Slip_in_Time_15471.3gp
Learning to Skateboard: http://e-clips.mobi/zr/videos/Skateboard_15479.3gp
La Revolucion: http://e-clips.mobi/zr/videos/La_Revolucion_de_Iguodala_15475.3gp
King Tiny (dog): http://e-clips.mobi/zr/videos/King_Tiny_15474.3gp
Reno: http://e-clips.mobi/zr/videos/Reno_15478.3gp

But do try their SMS system also, and tell me in a blog comment whether it works for you.

Enjoy!

GPS built-in but deactivated on TyTN ??

2007-02-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

As this comment points out, it appears that HTC TyTNs (and other devices as well) include some of the hardware needed for GPS (location tracking). Several tech blog groups are actively working on getting this working, but so far it appears that it can't be done as the devices exist.

The most active discussions on this appear to be:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=291181&page=45
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1094921&page=2&pp=15

If anyone knows more about this, comments welcome!

How to delete e-mail in WM5 (TyTN etc)

2007-02-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

Following up on my previous messages about deleting e-mail on my TyTN, I've now confirmed how to handle e-mail on a WM5 device without accidentally deleting mail off the mail server.

To recap the problem, if you use your WM5 device like I do, to read e-mail on the road that you generally read over webmail, if you delete e-mail on the device but want to keep it on the server (eg, if it's not something you can read or handle on the device, do you want it out of your device's inbox, but still want to read/handle the message over webmail when you're on a computer), it will be deleted from the server when you empty your deleted items folder on the device.

THE SOLUTION: Never empty the deleted items folder on the device. Instead, if you set your mail on the device to only show messages received in the past X days (I set it to 7 days), periodically go into your deleted items folder and move all messages older than X days back to your Inbox, then do a send/receive. When you do the send/receive, the messages will be removed from your Inbox because they're older than X days old, but they will not be deleted on the server, since they're still in your inbox. I've tried this, and the messages definitely disappear from the device but not the server. But never empty deleted items, that will delete them off the server.

The right solution, of course, would be for Microsoft to have a setting whether or not to delete from server when emptying deleted items folder, like they do on Outlook and Outlook Express.

The other solution is to use another e-mail client on the device. I plan to try this, since I'd also like an e-mail client that shows HTML e-mails (rich text), but I haven't tried any yet. If anyone has e-mail clients to recommend, please post them here as a comment.

Cute Google Labs sites run well on TyTN

2007-01-31T02:49:00.000-08:00

I just came across a very cute system developed by Google Labs called Google Sets, at http://labs.google.com/sets Basically, you type in a few examples of something, and it gives you suggestions of other things that are similar. The interface is simple and looks very good on a TyTN-sized screen, and runs well over Wi-Fi or 3g. (Presumably it'll be equally good on a K-JAM or other cellular PDA.)

As a test, in a video rental store I typed in Mission Impossible, Die Hard, Beverly Hills Cop, and Star Wars, and pressed "go." It gave me back recommendations of Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Terminator, Top Gun, and more. Some were less appropriate, like Friday the 13th, but most were in the ballpark.

Yes, I know that there are other sites for movie recommendations. But this seems to be built to do recommendations of anything (in theory), and it's done very well for a TyTN-sized screen and 3g bandwidth.

They also have a version of Froogle, their shopping system, running on cellphones, at http://wml.froogle.com/ Comparison shopping is near and dear to my heart, since I developed the first comparison shopping system (BargainFinder) years ago. So you can compare prices on your TyTN or other cellphone on the road. (But it's less useful to me here in Israel.)

Enjoy!

Answer regarding my e-mail deleting problem

2007-01-30T04:22:00.000-08:00

Regarding my problem of e-mail deleted on the device being deleted from the server (here and here), I got the following answer from someone at Microsoft, on a newsgroup:

Unfortunately there is no way to achieve this in WM5. We are considering
this feature for future releases.

The closest you can get right now is to use Empty Deleted Items = Manually, but of course deleted messages pile up on your device, and they will be deleted from the server once you try to remove them. It sounds like you've already tried this and it's still unacceptable.

Hopefully this doesn't make your device completely useless...

Have you considered some of the 3rd party email clients available for WM5?
Power users such as yourself might enjoy the finer grain customization
possible with some of these 3rd party apps.

The best bet seems to be a third-party app. I wonder if any third-party e-mail apps also support HTML e-mail etc. If anyone has one to recommend, please leave a note here as a comment.

In the meantime, I understand that I can delete things on the device and they'll be fine as long as I don't empty the deleted items folder. I think that I can then move all deleted items older than 7 days back to Inbox, which I've set to show only the past 7 days, and they should disappear on the device without being deleted on the server. I'll have to wait 7 days to try this, I'll let everyone know then how it works. (IT WORKS, READ MY FOLLOWUP HERE.)

More on TyTN deleting email from server

2007-01-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

This is really bad. Based on some hunting around the web, I tried emptying my POP email deleted items folder when disconnected, and then connecting and doing a send/receive, and when doing the send/receive it deleted from the server all the messages that had been purged when disconnected.

I use webmail for my main e-mail use, and only want the device for remote access. That said, I want to be able to look at an inbox of significant items without seeing dozens of things that I want to read only on the Web. I need the ability to delete from my device's inbox without deleting from the server.

Any ideas anyone?

Deleting e-mail on server!

2007-01-29T05:37:00.000-08:00

I just discovered that my TyTN is deleting mail on my mail server whenever I empty the deleted items folder on the TyTN.

This is an option that can be turned on or off on the regular Outlook client, but I can't find a way to turn it off on the TyTN.

I think that this is absolutely crazy. Since the TyTN will never be my primary e-mail reader, I certainly don't mean for anything I do on my TyTN to delete mail on the server. I delete something on the TyTN whenever I don't want it on the TyTN, not necessarily when I don't want it anywhere.

If anyone knows anything about this, particularly how to turn this feature off, PLEASE leave a blog comment!

Register article on YouTube and TinyTube

2007-01-24T01:15:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to scoop the Register, since they're usually up on things that are happening. They've just now reported what I wrote a few weeks ago, about YouTube blocking TinyTube because of the Verizon deal.

In the meantime, there are other systems out there for converting YouTube and Google videos to mobile format. But none are as easy to use as TinyTube.

(Note: if you like this blog, you can subscribe at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=148293 )

TyTN (WM5) software I'm planning to check out

2007-01-23T04:33:00.000-08:00

Here's the top of my list of software to check out soon on my TyTN:

The new updated version of Skype Mobile (version 2.2 beta)
CoolCamera program for better video capture

Anyone tried either of these? Anyone know of other software for the TyTN that should be on the list? (Serious and very useful stuff only) Feel free to leave blog comments here.

I'll post reviews of these after I try them out, hopefully soon!

NOTE: While I'm writing, I'll mention that you can now receive updates to this blog by e-mail, by subscribing at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=148293

...

YouTube confirms YouTube mobile was broken, and now fixed

2007-01-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

I just got two messages from YouTube support, in response to all my complaints about YouTube Mobile not working, saying that it was indeed broken but is now fixed:

It seems like the issue you were having was related to a temporary problem with
our website. Mobile uploads should be working correctly now.
Please try again now, and it should work just fine!
Regards,
Aaron T.
The YouTube Team
We did have some issues regarding mobile uploads and these issues should have been fixed. You may want to try uploading again and if it continues to fail, you may also want to try creating a new mobile upload profile.
If you continue to experience problems, please reply to this email and let us know! Please also let us know who your cell phone provider is.
Best Regards,
Alex
The YouTube Team

This fits my experience that YouTube Mobile is now working.

Of course, this happened before that it was broken, then fixed, then broke again, so I hope it keeps working this time!

Bottom line, submitting videos directly from a TyTN or other connected PDA should work fine. Enjoy!

...

YouTube Mobile working again (for now...)

2007-01-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

After being down and back up and then down again, YouTube Mobile appears to be working for e-mail video submissions. As I said before, it's great when it works, but with all the up and down, it's hard to believe it will last long.

ESPECIALLY because after sending in lots of messages to their support team, I received today messages about all my submissions in the past 2 weeks, saying only that they'd been received. On my account I see all three are there, with two marked as duplicates of the first which is in the system. No message acknowledging a problem and saying it's fixed.

So for now, enjoy it while it works...

YouTube Mobile still not working

2007-01-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

As I said earlier, YouTube Mobile isn't working when videos are submitted by e-mail. I've submitted this several times to YouTube help, with no response.

Several blog readers have commented to me that it's not working for them. Is it working for anyone? Has anyone tried it via MMS?

TyTN WLAN WEP 40 or 128 bit

2007-01-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

I've been using my TyTN on a wireless network with security (WEP) based on a 40 bit key (10 hex characters) for months, but just now tried to connect to an office wireless lan that uses 128 bit security. I can't get the TyTN to connect. Has anyone else managed to connect their TyTN with a 128 bit key? I'm not sure if the problem is with the key or with something else.

Thanks for any comments that anyone can add about this.

YouTube Mobile not working again

2006-12-29T02:51:00.000-08:00

Several readers have commented (eg, here and here) that they're having trouble posting to YouTube Mobile, despite my having written that it was working for me (here's the video from then) so I'm testing it.

At 12:50 (local time) I sent a short video clip (around a quarter meg) from my TyTN to my YouTube Mobile address, via e-mail through my USB connection.

Note that I'm not testing MMS or e-mail over 3g or Wi-Fi at this time. I think that YouTube Mobile should be the same for all e-mail routes.

At 12:55 I see that the e-mail has arrived in my Yahoo e-mail account (I BCC'ed myself).

At 1:20 it still hasn't arrived on YouTube in My Uploaded Videos.

So something does seem to be wrong. Last time I saw the video as an entry in My Uploaded Videos very quickly, with a note that the video was being processed. But now there's nothing there.

I'll update this later if it shows up.

QUICK UPDATE A DAY LATER: The video still hasn't shown up on YouTube, so it's definitely not still in transit. I tried sending the same video from another e-mail account, and it didn't show on YouTube, so the problem isn't with the TyTN or mobile connectivity.

TyTN video camera bug when no review period?

2006-12-21T03:22:00.001-08:00

I took my kids to an amusement park with only my TyTN for pictures, and set the camera settings to have no review period so I could take pictures one right after the other.

But when I did that, video clips simply disappeared.

I then set it back to 3 second review, and it worked fine.

The problem seems to only be for videos, not still pictures. The clips might still exist, but they're not in the My Videos folder. I noticed that the picture numbers were incremented as if the missing clips did exist.

Has anyone had this problem on the TyTN or similar device?

Still unable to record calls on TyTN

2006-12-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

Following up on my previous message, I was unable to get LivePVR to record calls on my TyTN. I still can't believe that this isn't built-in functionality, as it was on my Nokia.

Anyone know of call-recording software that works on the TyTN or K-JAM? Or has anyone gotten call recording working in LivePVR on the TyTN?

Reuters site legitimizes camera phone pictures

2006-12-14T01:56:00.000-08:00

A new site by Reuters and Yahoo, called YouWitness, is built for camera phone owners to submit newsworthy pictures (and videos) directly to Reuters. Currently the pictures are only shown on Yahoo/Reuters news, but the plan is for the pictures to be sold through Reuters, with revenues split between Reuters, Yahoo, and the photographer.

This seems to me to be the biggest acknowledgement that masses of people with camera phones can rival professional protographers for pictures of breaking news. A smaller site called SpyMedia is trying to do the same for private picture purchasing, but a start-up in the commercial arena is not as significant as Reuters in the news arena.

BUT NOTE: If people want to submit pictures & videos directly from their camera phones, they will want to be able to edit them a bit. The TyTN's picture editing, presumably also on other Windows Mobile devices, supports cropping, rotating, and auto-correction which I'm not clear on but likely corrects blurring and red-eye. It would be interesting to see more sophisticated picture and video editing support on devices.

The site is http://news.yahoo.com/you-witness

Radar: A great site for sharing mobile videos privately

2006-12-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

Now that I got YouTube Mobile accepting videos directly from my TyTN, I'm interested in the same functionality but for a limited audience, for distributing videos only to family or friends directly from my TyTN. I've found a site for this that launched just recently, that seems very good so far, called Radar, at http://www.radar.net.

In a nutshell, Radar let me log in and invite relatives or friends to join, and then submit videos (or pictures) directly from my TyTN over e-mail, very similar to YouTube Mobile. (What worked for me from my TyTN will presumably work on any mobile that can send videos by e-mail.) These videos are then available only to the people I invited.

They say that videos are also browsable on a mobile, but I haven't tried this yet.

All in all it seems like just the right functionality, and well implemented. The videos I sent were available immediately, much faster than on YouTube Mobile.

Mobile YouTube blogging straight from TyTN worked!

2006-12-10T14:17:00.001-08:00

After getting the acknowledgement last week from YouTube support acknowledging a problem with YouTube Mobile submissions, it now seems to be working!

The following video was shot on my TyTN and submitted directly via e-mail to my YouTube Mobile address:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVUr-OHWoIQ

They sent me back the URL in a few minutes, and I'm now submitting this blog entry through Blogsot Mobile. So the full blog entry, text and video, is done fully on my TyTN, all via e-mail! Nice.

The only drawback is that I expect the YouTube video above will be a link, not an embedded video. (If you read this and see the video embedded in the blog message, it will have worked even better than expected.)

Book published that was written entirely on PDA-phone: Harry Potter and Torah

2006-12-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

I've just published a 200-page book, Harry Potter and Torah, whose first complete draft was written completely on my old PDA-phone, the Nokia 9110 Communicator. Once the text was entered on the Nokia Communicator, I moved it all to a computer to merge and format. Almost all of the text was written on inter-city busses or in libraries where I was doing research.

To me this shows the power of a PDA-phone that has a good enough keyboard for serious use. Yes, I could have used a laptop, but that's nowhere near as convenient as an instant-on device that truly goes everywhere with me. Devices with good keyboards are more than "communicators" or "messagers," they're truly able to do serious work. And if Windows Mobile Word got one level better, and handled entry of footnotes and some other things that it doesn't yet handle, it would be even better. (Note that it just has to allow these to be entered, it doesn't even have to show them well.)

Yes, the Nokia Communicator has an even bigger keyboard than the TyTN. See my old message that shows how they compare. But I find the TyTN's keyboard big enough for serious use. In the past few months I've taken dozens of pages of notes on my TyTN in meetings, both work and personal.

This is one reason I never bought a Treo or other PDA-phone with a tiny keyboard along the bottom. It was painful to stick with the old Nokia, but the K-JAM and TyTN are the first full-featured PDA-phones that have keyboards that support real work.

To end with a shameless plug, anyone interested in the book can go to the Harry Potter and Torah home page.

No experience with Hebrew on the TyTN

2006-12-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

Someone asked in a comment whether I have used any Hebrew support or Jewish calendar support on my TyTN, since they saw that I'm in Israel. The answer is sorry, but no, I've been using a lot of VoIP and blogging, but all in English. Sorry!

YouTube Mobile confirmed not working

2006-12-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

After the problems I mentioned before with submitting videos directly from my TyTN via the YouTube Mobile e-mail interface:

http://pdaphone-fan.blogspot.com/2006/11/youtube-mobile-not-working-can-anyone.html

I've gotten confirmation from YouTube support that there are problems with the e-mail interface, and they're looking into it:

We're aware of this issue and we're working to resolve it as our system doesn't seem to be accepting many videos from cell phones.

We apologize for the inconvenience!

I look forward to its working, mobile video blogging directly from my TyTN awaits!

TinyTube blasted by YouTube over Verizon deal

2006-12-03T21:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I hate being right! On Nov 28 I wrote:

A New York Times article today discusses a YouTube mobile venture with Verizon.
...
Hopefully the TinyTube mobile YouTube site that I discussed previously will keep working

and on Nov 30 TinyTube stopped working, with the explanation:

when a Senior Manager at YouTube contacted us about Terms of Service violations we took the YouTube content offline.

Besides the fact that I liked the TinyTube service on my TyTN, it's frustrating that YouTube, a company that's clearly been trying to become the video host for the world (eg allowing other Web sites and blogs to easily embed their videos) blows their whole philosophy when a Verizon deal conflicts. Yes, TinyTube talked about terms of service violations, but the timing makes it clear that the problem was the Verizon deal.

Maybe TinyTube can put small Verizon ads at the bottom of their pages -- I bet then the "terms of service violations" would be taken care of!

Thanks to the TinyTube folks for the great service! Hope to see you back soon.

Problems sending video e-mails over 3g

2006-12-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that e-mails containing videos over one meg seem not to send well over UMTS (3g) connectivity. They seem to send fine over USB connectivity. I originally wrote here that Wi-Fi also had trouble, but the same messages that wouldn't send over 3g have sent fine over my own Wi-Fi connection.

I'm not sure if this is an issue with the connectivity or with my mail server, which is Yahoo.

Has anyone reading this had this problem, or on the other hand, has anyone routinely sent video attachments over 1 meg over UMTS (3g) connections?

Notable blog messages: Mobile Skype, Mobile YouTube, and more

2006-11-29T02:26:00.000-08:00

YouTube mobile not working! (can anyone help?)

2006-11-29T01:51:00.000-08:00

I've tried several times now to post a video to YouTube directly from my TyTN using the YouTube Mobile system, and have not yet succeeded.

I took a video and e-mailed it from my TyTN to the e-mail address that was generated for me by YouTube mobile, but it never posted. I then tried again with a shorter video, and it never posted. I then tried with only the e-mail address in the To field (no alias name), and it never posted. I then tried through the e-mail interface but sending it from my Web-based e-mail instead of from the TyTN, and it never posted. Each time I also included a BCC that did successfully receive the video. Since it didn't post through web-based mail either, it looks like the problem is with YouTube Mobile, not the TyTN.

I also took the same short video file and uploaded it to YouTube through the regular web interface, and it uploaded fine (it's here), so the problem is clearly not with the video file itself.

Note that I sent these through e-mail, not MMS, because of the size. But YouTube Mobile says it should work over e-mail as well.

Has anyone gotten YouTube mobile to work? Please comment with any suggestions!

Nokia offering to block mobile VoIP

2006-11-29T01:05:00.000-08:00

Nokia is reported to be offering cellular carriers the ability to block mobile VoIP on their 3g data networks. This is somewhat surprising since Nokia has always been supportive of VoIP, on products like their Web Tablet. Since I've gotten to like Skype Mobile on my TyTN, I hope carriers don't start using this evil ability to block cellular VoIP. If they do, will customers move to other carriers?
http://www.voipnews.com.au/content/view/1338/107/

YouTube mobile for Verizon phones

2006-11-28T01:46:00.000-08:00

A New York Times article today discusses a YouTube mobile venture with Verizon. It will cost $15/mo, only for Verizon customers, and will give only a subset of YouTube, not all YouTube videos.

Hopefully the TinyTube mobile YouTube site that I discussed previously will keep working, since it works on all handhelds for all YouTube videos, providing true mobile YouTube.

Skype mobile over 3g on TyTN in moving car - successful!

2006-11-28T01:09:00.000-08:00

I just tried out Skype Mobile on my TyTN, this time using a 3g (UMTS) connection in a moving car. And it sounded great, as good as a cellphone call!

The same should work equally well on Skype Mobile on any other 3g device, since I don't think that the device or CPU plays much of a role in Skype Mobile performance. But I've only used the TyTN, and maybe CPU speed does matter.

Now for a few details:

1. I was talking on the speakerphone. As I've mentioned before, Skype Mobile doesn't work over the regular phone handset mic and speaker, just the loudspeaker or headphones. I haven't tried it using headphones to see how it sounds then. Over the speakerphone it sounds as good as a regular cellphone call over speakerphone.

2. When I was talking, the car was moving less than 80 km/hr (50 mph). At faster speeds (train speed or real highway speed) the 3g connectivity is reported to sometimes have problems.

3. I logged into Skype and started the call when the car was fully stopped in traffic. Skype Mobile doesn't seem to remember my password, and I don't suggest typing passwords into forms while driving.

4. Obviously Skype call quality depends on bandwidth availability, and may go down as more people use 3g.

I've said before that mobile Skype is impressive, and working well over 3g makes it ubiquitous wherever there's 3g.

Previous messages I've written about Skype mobile are:
http://pdaphone-fan.blogspot.com/2006/10/skype-windows-mobile-version-on-tytn.html
http://pdaphone-fan.blogspot.com/2006/11/skype-in-coffee-shop.html
http://pdaphone-fan.blogspot.com/2006/11/windows-mobile-skype-on-speakers-not.html

Skype Mobile can be downloaded from
http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/download/skype/mobile/

Very nice!

NYT article on grabbing Wi-Fi coverage

2006-11-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Interesting article in today's New York Times about people with Wi-Fi devices (like the TyTN or K-JAM) grabbing connectivity on other people's Wi-Fi networks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/27/technology/27wifi.html

I find it strange that the article doesn't mention how many public Wi-Fi hotpots there are. Roaming Wi-Fi devices aren't only usable by "stealing" bandwidth from people's houses, but also at cafes and malls all over the place. Also, they don't mention the frequent assumption that anyone that doesn't lock their Wi-Fi connection is implicitly leaving it open for use.

But a good article nonetheless.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/27/technology/27wifi.html

Testing picture blogging from my TyTN

2006-11-24T02:22:00.001-08:00

Why, you ask, are you looking at a picture of a residential neighborhood in Israel? The answer is that I'm testing mobile blogging sending a picture straight from my TyTN's camera.

In Blogspot terminology, this won't go through the "email to blog" feature, which only handles text, but rather through "mobile blogger" which only allows one blog per email address but does allow pictures. Let's see if it works.

Also note that my TyTN is set to reduce picture resolution when sending. If it ends up not looking good, I'll know to turn that off first next time.

These comments in red are being added later on my computer:

Setting up picture mobile blogging was pretty easy, with a few notes: First, the setup process could not be completed on the TyTN, since the Web page that connects my mobile blogging to this particular blog doesn't work on the PDA browser. Second, setting up mobile blogs with pictures now requires using the new version of blogspot, not a big deal but it took some doing. But now that the setup was done once, I can apparently send pictures in mobile blog entries straight from my TyTN without any trouble. I'll do another message to confirm this next week.

Lastly, I happen not to like the new phrase "moblogging" for mobile blogging. Can anyone think of a better phrase? Maybe "phlogging" for phone blogging? "Pocklogging" for pocket blogging? Comments welcome.

3g UMTS data connectivity -- fast!

2006-11-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

I just got my 3g UMTS data connection working, and I have to say, I'm really impressed with the speed. Unlike older technology, it really enables e-mailing and some browsing effectively, anywhere.

I've found one problem with how Windows Mobile (at least on the TyTN) handles the interplay between 3g and Wi-Fi: I haven't found any way to specify that the TyTN should try Wi-Fi first and then 3g whenever Wi-Fi is available. What I'd really like is to be able to specify specific Wi-Fi networks that should be higher priority than 3g, such as my own home network.

But instead, the TyTN works like this: If I want to use Wi-Fi, I have to connect explicitly. If I've connected to Wi-Fi, all programs automatically use it. But if Wi-Fi isn't connected, and a program tries to access the network, the TyTN connects using 3g. (I assume this isn't a TyTN thing, rather a Windows Mobile thing.)

If anyone knows of a solution to this, please post it as a comment. It's not such a big deal to connect Wi-Fi before using it, this is really just a nitpick. But it would be nice for the device to do the right thing without my having to do it explicitly, especially since I think it's a common need.

Comments or suggestions welcome.

Other than that, I've very impressed with the 3g data connectivity. I'll write later after I've tried Skype or other things specifically on the 3g connection.

TinyTube - mobile YouTube !!

2006-11-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

I just saw a mobile version of YouTube called TinyTube at http://tinytube.net/

Basically it gives an interface to browsing and searching YouTube videos that fits on mobile devices, and then converts them to 3GP format to play on mobile devices, with options for low, medium, or high resolution/bandwidth.

I just tried it on a mall's public Wi-Fi and on 3g/UMTS, and it works well. It doesn't give all the bells and whistles that YouTube gives, but bottom line, it gives access to YouTube videos.

Note that you can browse their site from your computer to see how it looks, but it's smart enough to give you regular Flash videos if you're on a computer, and only convert to 3GP if you're on a mobile device (presumably to save its server resources). On a mobile device, instead of a link "stream" you'll see links for low, medium, or high bandwidth/resolution.

One minor point is that on my TyTN the videos are first converted fully, then downloaded fully, and then viewed, and are not streamed, so there's more wait time. But that's a minor nitpick compared to the bottom line that this system has opened up YouTube content to mobile devices.

Very impressed, this is exactly the right service to offer.

http://tinytube.net/

Another mobile blogging test (WORKED)

2006-11-22T04:24:00.000-08:00

After my mobile blogging test on Nov 14 that didn't work, I'M trying this again. I'm sending this from my TyTN to the "mail-to-blogger e-mail address" that I've set for this blog.

On blogspot the mail-to-blogger method doesn't suppport pictures. After I get this working, I'll try the other approaches.

OK, THIS WORKED THIS TIME, APPARENTLY I HADN'T SAVED MY SETTINGS CORRECTLY. SO MOBILE BLOGGING ON BLOGSPOT VIA TyTN E-MAIL WORKS. NEXT I'LL TRY PICTURES.

Final word: Mobile Skype only on speakers

2006-11-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

Following up on my previous message about Mobile Skype on the TyTN (and other Windows Mobile devices), it looks clear that Skype Mobile does not allow you to take calls on the TyTN like a regular phone call, rather only on the speakers or through the music headphones.

The previous reader who said he'd taken calls on the regular phone has clarified that he didn't.

That said, I'm still a big fan of Skype Mobile on my TyTN.

Prediction: Skype Mobile on Zune

2006-11-21T05:27:00.000-08:00

You read it here first: I predict that Skype Mobile for the Zune will be announced soon.

Microsoft is making a big deal of the Zune's Wi-Fi connectivity, so Skype would be a natural.

That said, I'll stick with my TyTN -- Skype makes more sense with 3g connectivity and PDA contacts. But for folks without TyTN's, I predict your Zunes will soon be able to Skype.

Flash videos (YouTube or Google) on the TyTN

2006-11-21T02:42:00.000-08:00

One of the real lackings of the TyTN (and all other Windows Mobile PDA-phones) is the inability to watch Flash videos on YouTube or Google Videos. Deals are reportedly in the works to bring Flash videos to PDA-phone users, but not yet.

In the meanwhile, I've found two on-line services that will convert Flash videos into formats that can be watched on the TyTN:

VidConvert (from bleb.org): http://www.bleb.org/services/vidconvert/
and
MyMobileClips: http://www.mymobileclips.com/
(I haven't tried their WAP site at http://wap.mymobileclips.com )

Anyone else found solutions for Flash videos on the TyTN or other PDA-phones? Comments welcome. Otherwise, the services above are at least a start.

Glofiish M700 not really a TyTN challenger

2006-11-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

Some articles are calling the newly announced Glofiish M700 a "TyTN challenger." But from what I've read, it seems more like a K-JAM challenger to me.

Yes, the device has the same slide-out keyboard form factor, 2mp camera, and Wi-Fi. The keyboard was clearly styled after the TyTN's, with identical shift, function, start menu, and OK buttons along the bottom.

It also adds GPS, which is a nice addition, enabling location-based mapping services.

But it's not a 3g phone, so it has no 3g data connectivity and no 3g video calls. And it doesn't appear (from the pictures shown) to have the same buttons and wheel that make the TyTN so nice for single-hand use.

Windows Mobile Skype on speakers not phone

2006-11-20T03:04:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in a previous message that I got Skype Mobile running on my TyTN, but that it used the speakers and microphone, or the PDA earphones but not a phone Bluetooth headset.

A reader commented that he had gotten Mobile Skype running on his handset. After trying some more, I'm still unable to do this. I also see that the Skype Developer Zone lists this as a known issue with Skype Mobile:

On PocketPC phone editions audio comes out from loudspeaker, it is not
transferred to phone speaker. To avoid using loudspeaker, we suggest you to use
wired headset. This will also give you better overall sound quality in Skype
calls.
In many cases if you have bluetooth headset connected to Windows mobile
device, it is not possible to use it for Skype calls. In most cases you will not
hear anything, or most of the text is cut off.

If anyone reading this has managed to use Skype on a Windows Mobile device over the phone handset, meaning as a regular phone call not over the loudspeaker or PDA headphones, please comment with more details!

Until further notice, I conclude that Windows Mobile gives programs an API to the speakers and mic that only works on the loudspeakers or PDA headset and not through the phone.

All that said, I still like the idea of Skype Mobile on my TyTN, especially since I live outside of the USA and call the USA a lot. When I can listen to Grateful Dead tunes while switching back and forth between local cellular calls and international VoIP calls, and while checking my e-mail, I'll feel like I'm living a convergence life.

More news about HTC

2006-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Anyone who owns a TyTN or other phone with the HTC name-brand (as opposed to phones they sold under another name) is used to the question "it's made by WHO?"

Well, HTC seems to be getting its name out a lot more these days.

The Seattle Times has a long article (here) about HTC and its vision for the future. This vision apparently continues the K-JAM and TyTN trend, developing a cellphone with the same form factor but a full ultra-mobile PC inside.

The UK-based Register also picked up on them, with a short article (here) about this vision of PDA/phones developing into computer/phones.

Recording calls and other sound bites

2006-11-15T02:23:00.000-08:00

One missing feature on the TyTN is call recording.

I saw the LivePVR system discussed on-line, which seems to offer ideal functionality. It can record calls, and can also record arbitrarily long sound bites. Best of all, during non-call use (e.g., during a meeting) it can continuously record a rolling buffer of 60 seconds through the microphone, and then when the user pushes a button, save the past 60 seconds and the subsequent 60 seconds.

Unfortunately the trial version of the software doesn't seem to record calls on my TyTN. The manual recorder and the in-meeting recorder seem to work, but when I tell it to record a call, no recording shows up. I'm still working on it, and will report more as I find out more.

Anyone else work with LivePVR, or other software for recording calls? Comments welcome.

Blog entry directly from my TyTN (DIDN'T WORK)

2006-11-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

This is my first test posting a blog entry directly from my TyTN. This message is being sent by e-mail to the address specified in Blogspot as corresponding to this blog. The system doesn't handle images, but there are apparently other interfaces that do. I'm starting with the simplest interface and I'll try the other methods later.

Even without pictures, I have to say it's pretty good if this works smoothly this easily.

The message above was received by the blog system and I could see it when I administered the blog, but it wasn't actually published to the blog despite my setting the blog to auto-publish e-mail submissions. Anyone else have experience getting this running? Comments welcome.

Using MP3 files as SMS ringtones

2006-11-14T04:49:00.000-08:00

A reader asked:

Great blog... I just got my TyTN this week and would like to know if you could
tell me how to change the sms or mms tone to an mp3 or any other file for that
matter that is not already in the list. Let me know if you can. Thanks!

And I answered:

The most straightforward is to use File Explorer to copy your MP3 into:
My
Device \ Windows \ Rings
and it should then show up in all menus of ring tones for all purposes.

Note that I don't use a lot of custom ringtones, since I tend to like old-fashioned tones for everything. (For example, actual phone ringing sounds for incoming calls.) But this is my understanding from a bit of experimenting.

But as pointed out in the comments, I'm wrong about this, \Windows\Rings is only for incoming phone call rings, not other notifications.

Anyone know more about this? Add a comment if you do. If I find out more, I'll put it here.

HTC getting better known

2006-11-12T01:28:00.000-08:00

HTC, the company that makes the TyTN and the K-Jam, and that made a lot of other Windows Mobile phones, has been virtually unknown until recently because they sell through other companies who name-brand the phones. The K-JAM and the TyTN were the first phones that were sold with a push for HTC brand awareness.

For anyone interested, this article says that HTC has already gotten 5.4% of the smartphone market:

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/20313.php

with the comment:

the most notable performance in 3Q was that of HTC as branded shipments, including Qtek shipments, grew a substantial 275% compared to Qtek shipments in 3Q05, as the tighter integration of channel partners and the addition of significant marketing investment and more comprehensive end-user support all helped to increase market share to 6%.

Custom ringtones (answering a question from a comment)

2006-11-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

Someone asked:

I also own a TyTN and was wondering how to set an mp3 for ringing without
putting it in the \windows\rings folder, I prefer let it on my SD Card...Did
you
already manage to do that ?

I don't really use mp3 ringtones, preferring old-fashioned phone-ringing sounds (although I do use different "ring" sounds for different people). But with some testing, it looks like there's an easy way to set the ringtone without having to copy it yourself to \windows\rings, but the result is the same -- the system just copies it for you.

The shortcut to doing this is to go to your MP3 file in File Explorer and click&hold on the file. When the menu pops up, one option will be to set as ringtone. But it will then just copy it for you to the rings folder, and set it as your primary ringtone. It will then also be in the pulldown menu in contacts.

But again, it looks to me like there's no way to set a ringtone that's not in the rings folder, if your goal is to save memory. It does seem likely that there's a way to change the rings folder in the system registry, but then you'd ONLY be able to use ringtones in the memory card folder, so you're buying yourself a headache. But I haven't gotten into registry changes yet.

Quick tip: Turning off camera sound

2006-11-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

Quick tip that took me a while to find: The sound that the camera makes is completely artificial, and can be turned off. Just enter the camera mode, click on the wrench in the lower left corner, then on the wrench on the right side of the list of icons, then you'll find a number of different settings that you can mess with.

With teh camera noise turned off, I find it easy to take pictures secretly while appearing to be using the PDA normally.

3g video telephony on TyTN

2006-11-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

To respond to a question I received: I'm still in the process of upgrading my phone plan to include 3g (story below), so I haven't used the 3g video telephony features of the phone.

(I have sent what I called "video e-mail" by recording a video clip and emailing it over the Wi-Fi connection, but this is not the same thing. See a previous message about doing that if you're interested.)

The reason I haven't gotten 3g running on my phone is that my carrier (Orange Israel) refuses to give a uSIM for 3g calls to a phone that they haven't tested, and they haven't tested the TyTN yet. Another local carrier (Celcom Israel) is happy to take me as a 3g customer, but since number portability isn't working yet, I need to decide if it's worth switching numbers to have 3g connectivity. Any comments from 3g users about how much they've used and liked 3g features would be appreciated, just click the "comments" link below this article.

Mission Impossible 3 gizmo: TyTN/K-JAM form factor

2006-11-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't notice, in Mission Impossible 3 the Tom Cruise character uses a PDA with a form factor just like the HTC TyTN and K-JAM, with a keyboard that slides out the long edge of the PDA. If you look closely, you'll see that it looks like it has three rows of keys above the space bar but no row of number keys, just like on the TyTN and K-JAM.

ADDED COMMENT: As the first commenter points out, the device in the movie looks just like the OQO PDA-sized Windows XP computer. But I'm leaving the post here, because the movie pictures still show the greatness of the TyTN/K-JAM form factor.

Skype in a coffee shop

2006-11-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

Today I took my TyTN into a coffee shop and successfully used Skype on their Wi-Fi.

I know, once it's working at home it will obviously work in a coffee shop, but it's simply fun to have the same Skype account work both home and out and about, with so little work in getting it set up.

I used the stereo headset that came with the TyTN, and held the mic (in the little box w/ the volume control) and spoke into it, and the sound quality was good. (As I said previously, Mobile Skype won't work with Bluetooth phone headsets or with the device used phone-style, only speakerphone or wired headset.)

I was also able to download e-mail at the same time that I was using Skype, although the email downloading felt slower. I don't know whether the slow feeling was a Wi-Fi issue or a TyTN multi-tasking issue.

Bottom line, I'm impressed. Time to go ahead with a more complete Skype in&out package.

Skype Mobile over GPRS?

2006-11-01T04:21:00.000-08:00

Someone asked on a mailing list about Skype Mobile running over a GPRS connection (cellular data connections, but not 3g). From checking a bit, here's what I found:

Skype in general is reported to require 25-130 KBPS depending on circumstance. GPRS gives more than that in some implementations, but is usually assumed to give 40 kbps reliably. That means that Skype may sometimes be able to work over GPRS but it's borderline.

I read an article saying that someone had run Skype reliably over a 51KBPS dialup connection, but that Skype only worked half the time over GPRS. This implies that it does sometimes work, depending on circumstance, but not reliably.

I also read that Skype is considered to use less bandwidth than other VoIP solutions, so if anything VoIP will work, Skype will.

But all this is based on my understanding, which may be wrong, clarifications welcome. My experience so far with Skype Mobile has been over Wi-Fi.

Skype (Windows Mobile version) on TyTN

2006-10-30T12:14:00.000-08:00

I just installed Skype Mobile on my TyTN, and it works great, albeit with some limitations.

(I believe that everything I say below is correct for all Windows Mobile devices, although my experience is only with the TyTN.)

I've never used Skype before, so I first installed it on my PC, set up a user, and set up my contacts list with a few friends. All were Skype users so all calls are free. The setup on my PC took about 15 minutes, and it worked fine over cheap speakers and mike.

Then I installed the Skype Pocket PC edition onto my TyTN:
http://www.skype.com/download/skype/mobile/

Interestingly they show a picture of the TyTN on that page, but don't list it as a supported device. But it is listed on the Skype developers list of supported devices. I installed it per instructions, the installation was very quick, and it worked fine the first time. (Caveats and details below)

The best thing about Skype is that I can leave my PC running, with Skype logged in, and also log into Skype on my TyTN over Wi-Fi. When a call comes in, it rings in both places, on the PC and on the TyTN, and whoever picks up gets the call. It's really beautiful, and makes the Skype work perfectly in a mobile fashion.

One caveat: Skype on the TyTN (and I think on all Windows Mobile devices) does not work over the USB sync cable, only over Wi-Fi or 3g connectivity. So it means that I can't really use the TyTN in place of a PC handset on a long-term basis, since I want to sync and recharge. But that's not a big drawback, the whole point of Skype on the TyTN is mobile use.

Another caveat: Skype on all Windows Mobile devices works only over the speaker and mic, not over the phone speaker and mic. In other words, Windows Mobile sees it as a PDA app but not a phone app. This means that Skype can be used as a speakerphone or with the wired handset/mic that comes with the TyTN (which is great for music too), but Skype cannot be used just like a regular phone call (with the TyTN held to the ear) and apparently not over a phone Bluetooth headset.

Lastly, I've only used Skype Mobile on the TyTN over Wi-Fi, not over 3g or other cellular data connectivity, so I can't report on quality over cell connectivity. Over Wi-Fi on my home network (ADSL) the quality was great, certainly as good as many cellphone calls. Hotspots may be worse. I'll post again when I've tried it in other settings.

Bottom line I'm very impressed. Installation was incredibly easy, and it meets my dream of working seamlessly in multiple locations as the TyTN moves.

More later.

Playing sound for alarms but not for phone

2006-10-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Someone on a mailing list asked about how to have the TyTN (or presumably other Windows Mobile devices, at least from HTC) play a sound for alarms but not for phone calls.

It's easy to do in settings: go into start menu settings, then select Sounds and Notifications, then the Notifications tab. You can then select "phone: incoming call" and unselect the play sound, and "reminders" and set the sound. I don't know of a way to seperate calendar alarms from the alarm clocks though.

Note that I don't know how this is effected by the ring/vibrate/none option when you click on the speaker at the top of the screen. What would be great is to be able to save a set of notifications settings as a profile in the Nokia sense, but I don't know of a way to do that either.

Note also that in the notifications list for incoming phone calls there are a lot of options that are not available in the comm manager or in the speaker icon pulldown menu, like vibrate then ring.

TyTN (and K-Jam) keyboard vs Nokia Communicator

2006-10-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

For 6 years I've been using a Nokia 9110 Communicator, from back before anyone used the word "smartphone." Besides doing a lot of talking, I've written over 250 pages of professional material on the Nokia's keyboard.

Here's a picture showing how the two keyboards compare:

So after so much use of the bigger mobile keyboard, how do I find the TyTN's keyboard?

Answer: Fine.

Obviously it's not as big as the Communicator's, but the benefits far outweigh the benefit of the bigger keyboard. The TyTN's keyboard is very usable, although it takes learning to get the punctuation keys and the symbol-shift being different from regular shift. But the feel of the keys is great, and the backlighting is great.

Others have posted elsewhere comparing the TyTN's and K-JAM's keyboards to the Treo. While it's ultimately a matter of taste, the slide-out keyboard on the TyTN and K-JAM enables the keyboard to be wider while keeping the overall device size very usable.

While I haven't written as much on my TyTN in a month as on my Communicator in 6 years, I've used the TyTN traveling and for note-taking in dozens of meetings, and am very satisfied.

Article on camera-phone flash problems

2006-10-25T02:38:00.000-07:00

Regarding my previous message about the TyTN's camera not being up to snuff at night, I came across the following article that discusses cellphone camera flashes being a general problem for all camera phones:

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/20013.php

Minor Wi-Fi problem, and a few TyTN nitpicks

2006-10-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've been having a strange Wi-Fi problem, where when I connect to a known wireless network (my home network) sometimes I'll see the connection established in the "network cards" list, and the icon at the top will stop moving and show itself as connected, but the connection doesn't work in e-mail or browser, and when I click on the connection icon I get the message showing it as disconnected (instead of the network name to which it's connected). Then I have to disconnect and connect again, and it works. I can't see a pattern in when this happens. Very strange.

Few nitpicks while I'm writing:

1. I wish the phone keypad buttons were bigger, they could make the auxiliary buttons smaller

2. Sometimes when I open a contact in contacts, then switch to something else, and go back to contacts, the contact is closed, very frustrating.

3. Contacts list view by company is very slow. (And there be other easy contact search options)

4. The Connections Manager should be able to switch the ringer to silent, not just ring and vibrate

That's all for now!

TyTN as camera (and MP3 player)

2006-10-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

One of the plusses of theTyTN is that it can serve as a replacement digital camera and digital media player. After a month of use, my bottom line is this: it serves as an excellent always-there camera and MP3 player, but not truly as a replacement for a serious camera.

I tried getting through an outing with kids at an amusement park without my regular digital camera, a 4 mega-pixel camera from Nikon. Obviously the TyTN's camera is 2mp, but I find the quality of pictures taken outside during daylight to be very good. If you want pictures for digital use (e-mailing or sharing on-line) 2 megapixel will be fine for most people. The same is true of the TyTN's video clip capabilities.

But at night I found the TyTN's camera to be sub-standard. I basically couldn't take decent pictures at night, regardless of areas being lit up.

On a week-long business trip, I was able to use the TyTN well for on-the-spot pictures and video clips that I didn't expect to have to take, but liked taking with a camera that was already in my pocket.

So, bottom line:

a. if you want to print picture-quality blow-ups, you need more megapixels,
b. if you're going at night, you're going to want a real camera,

but for spontaneous and always-there use, and when you don't want to carry other devices, the camera has been very good.

While I'm writing, I find the TyTN very good as an MP3 player as well, although I'm not a heavy iPod user so I can't really compare the quality. With a 1gig card the TyTN can hold enough for me to listen to music and recorded lectures while driving 3 hours each day and flying overseas. But someone else will need to judge the quality, and of course you can't buy on iTunes.

TyTN video e-mail -- easy!

2006-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

I was curious how well the TyTN could send video e-mails, and it worked very well!

Just turned on the TyTN, started the camera, selected video mode, held it with the lens facing me, pushed the button again, and started recording my message. Pushed the button when done, then quit out of the camera. Entered "pictures and videos" and previewed the video, then clicked "send" to send it out. It was then sent the next time I did a "send and receive" when connected, and was received and viewed by a not-so-technical recipient.

This can also be done for still pictures, and for still pictures there is some rudimentary picture editing available (such as cropping). For video it's send-as-is, but it works well for what it is.

Very cute capability!

Traveling with TyTN Wi-fi

2006-10-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

After traveling for a week and wanting to use my TyTN for connectivity, here are my experiences with it's Wi-Fi.

First, to be clear, setting up the TyTN's Wi-Fi with my home wireless network was a cinch. Easy. Piece o' cake.

But when I got to my first airport, I found that I couldn't connect my TyTN to a Wi-Fi network that my laptop was able to see and connect to. It took me a while to find the list of networks being attempted, you need to open "WLAN settings" from the menu in the connection manager, then "Network cards" menu from there. (Now tell me, is that intuitive?) The problem in the first airport was that my TyTN was set to require WEP security, which I use at home, and it wasn't able to connect to the open network at the airport. Opening up the network at the airport (single click on the network name) and de-selecting the checkbox to require WEP was enough to make the TyTN connect to that airport's wireless network.

But in the second airport, the TyTN was able to connect, but I wasn't allowed to access anything. I figured there must be a registration form, so I opened up a random URL (the first in my favorites) in the browser, but the browser showed nothing. It seems that the Web page that this airport's network was trying to show was too complex for the TyTN browser.

In later networks, such as t-mobile networks in America, I was able to follow this procedure and get to the t-mobile sign-in page in the browser. So the process works, it's just that one airport's Web page that's too complex. Unfortunately this was Newark airport, a common airport for me to fly through (I forget which terminal).

Elsewhere in the trip, when I found truly open public Wi-fi hotspots, I was able to connect with no problem, as long as WEP was set not to be required. In a hotel that required Web page login, with a simple Web page, the process worked with no problems.

Bottom line, after learning where to find the list of networks, learning to un-require WEP, and sometimes opening up a random URL in the browser to log into a network, I found that traveling with my TyTN and connecting in hotspots worked fairly well.

The only real catch was the complex page that couldn't open in the browser in one place, and of course that some hotspots weren't free. Other than that, it's "not perfect but very good."

Traveling with my TyTN (general points)

2006-10-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

I spent last week on the road, Sunday night through Friday afternoon, and here are a few thoughts. Many of these are really comments on Windows Mobile 5.0 and not strictly speaking on the TyTN.

First, I crossed a lot of time zones, and the visiting time zone feature worked perfectly. I really thought it wouldn't, because I've had such trouble with Outlook time zones not handling meeting invitations properly, but bottom line, it worked like a charm. I received Outlook meeting invitations from people in other time zones, forwarded them from my work email to my Yahoo email (the Yahoo webmail interface didn't recognize them as meeting invitations), and then downloaded them to my TyTN, which did recognize them as invitations, and accepted them. It put them on my calendar in the correct absolute time. Then, on the plane when I set myself as visiting the new time zone, they shifted right into place. Yes, I know it's basic and I shouldn't be surprised that it works, but I am. But it works!

Second, battery life. Lots of people have been complaining of battery life. I recharged my TyTN before leaving, used it as a phone on the way to the airport, used Wi-Fi in the airport for a few minutes (more in this in another message), listened to MP3's for about 3 hours, then another hour of cellphone use and a few minutes of Wi-Fi use, then another hour of MP3 use on another plane, then an hour of phone use, and still had 40% battery left. The catch is that the phone is off on the plane, and I turn on Wi-Fi only when I need it. I guess I'd always rather it had more power, but it was sufficient for the amount that I wanted to use it during 23 hours in transit.

Third, international roaming, worked no problem. Each new city took 1-2 minutes to find the appropriate frequencies and carriers, but everything worked fine after that.

Note that I wasn't roaming with a data plan, just a voice plan and Wi-Fi, since I'm still in the process of upgrading my data plan.

Fourth, recharging all over was easy, just pick the necessary adaptors and plug in anywhere worldwide.

Fifth, I really tried to go paperless and access all my working documents, maps, schedules, etc on my TyTN. On the one hand, they all opened up fine, including PDFs. On the other hand, they were hard to use sometimes on the TyTN's screen, so some things are still worth printing on paper :-(

Last, playing music in the TyTN's headphones came out very well, IMVHO. But I haven't spent that much time with an iPod, so I'm not really comparing. Stereo music through the headset is much much better than over their speaker, so don't judge the TyTN's music playing by its speaker.

After a month of TyTN use and a week of travel

2006-10-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

After a month of use of my TyTN, and an intense week of travel with it, I have enough to write that I'm going to break it into a few messages.

Bottom line, I'm very happy with the TyTN. I've been using the keyboard heavily during meetings, have used it heavily each day as an MP3 player, have taken kids to an amusement park without a camera and relied on the TyTN camera (mixed results), used the Wi-Fi connection in airports and in other offices when traveling, have sent video e-mails when traveling, and have used it to show video clips.

I'll talk about all these in individual messages over the next day or so.

One thing I haven't done yet is cellular data connectivity, because I'm still upgrading my phone plan.

TyTN sync to Outlook was easy

2006-09-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Synchronizing Outlook contacts onto my TyTN was a cinch. The included software installed easily, and the contacts pushed through USB to my TyTN quickly. (10 minutes for 1500 contacts.)

The one problem I had was on the Nokia 9110 side, that information seems to have been lost when moving the contacts from the 9110 to Outlook. For example, my TyTN lost the + symbol that prefixed international numbers. But I think that that was a 9110->Outlook problem, not a Outlook<->TyTN problem.

Installing the 1-gig memory card was also easy, and no problems recognizing it.

After a day of using the phone on Friday, my one minor nit to pick is that the number buttons on the phone screen are too small. I'd prefer bigger numbers and smaller buttons for the extra functions.

Just got my new TyTN

2006-09-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

Just got the new HTC TyTN PDA-phone, a Windows Mobile PDA with good-sized keyboard, 3g GSM phone, and Wi-Fi. So far it's great.

For years I stuck with my Nokia 9110, without upgrading, because I couldn't move to a Treo-sized keyboard. On my 9110 I wrote a whole book, several magazine articles, and lots of e-mails, all while I was riding the bus. Then I saw the K-JAM and decided that the keyboard was usable enough to move to. Before I bought a K-JAM, I saw articles about the TyTN, which I've now bought.

First impressions are great. All I've done so far is get the phone running on my old SIM card and gotten the Wi-Fi connected to my home network. Both took a matter of minutes.

More later as I get more of the PDA's features running.