http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=2030
(above) Legend’s Lenovo ET560, a clamshell Pocket PC with integrated GSM/GPRS phone
HP to emphasize remote control
According to an announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show, starting this summer HP iPAQ Pocket PCs will include remote control capabilities that consumers can use to control all of their entertainment devices and to access all digital content including music, photos, and videos, either locally, streamed, or remotely.
http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/CES/press/detail.jsp?pressId=1073584855707
SanDisk 1GB Secure Digital cards
According to industry sources, SanDisk has begun production of Secure Digital cards with a 1 GB capacity, which should be able to store 200-300 MP3 audio files or 2,000-3,000 digital images (depending on the resolution of the images). The card will be priced in the $500 range and should be available in stores by the time you read this announcement. For more information, visit the SanDisk Web site.
http://www.sandisk.com
(above) SanDisk’s 1 GB SD Card finally available
TV CompactFlash card for Pocket PC
EOps Technology recently introduced a TV tuner card in Compact Flash format that turns your Pocket PC into a TV receiver. The card lets you receive over-the-air analog broadcasts on channels 2-69. It supports Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC. The telescopic rod antenna can be collapsed when not in use. The device includes an RF-IN jack for connection to an external antenna in poor reception areas. It displays in portrait (208x160) or landscape (320 x 240) modes, at up to 30 frames per second. An AV-IN jack lets you connect your Pocket PC to a camcorder, DVD player, or video game console (NTSC / PAL composite video and audio signals). The card is powered by four 1.5V AAA alkaline batteries or an optional AC-DC adapter. For more information, visit the EOps Technology Web site.
http://www.eopstech.com/pro1.html
(above) EOps Technology’s CompactFlash TV tuner card for the Pocket PC
Socket introduces Bluetooth modem for Pocket PCs
Socket Communications has announced that it will market the first battery-powered cordless 56K modem. The Socket Cordless 56K Modem with Bluetooth Wireless Technology lets users access the Internet or e-mail through a telephone connection, using any Bluetooth-enabled device that supports a Dial-Up Networking (DUN) profile, such as a Pocket PC, a Windows notebook, or a Palm device. It comes with a rechargeable, removable, lithium-ion battery that supplies a minimum of three hours of use. It is V.92-hardware-ready, which means users can add call waiting, get online more quickly, and download files faster. It is certified to work in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. It includes Socket’s Get Connected! Wizard for easy dial-up connection setup.
http://www.socketcom.com/about/press/read.asp?ID=115
Microsoft Portrait 2.2 released
Microsoft has released the latest version of Microsoft Portrait, a prototype for mobile video communication. Microsoft Portrait allows you to engage in video communications using PCs, Pocket PCs, or Handheld PCs, through almost any network. Even if you are behind a firewall, you can still transmit audio/video through the HTTP proxy that most firewalls provide. The latest version supports .NET Messenger Service, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and Internet Locator Service on PCs, Pocket PCs, Handheld PCs, and Smartphones. It runs on local area networks, dialup networks, and even wireless networks with bandwidths as low as 9.6 kilobits/second. For more information or to download the software, visit the Microsoft Portrait Web site.
http://research.microsoft.com/~jiangli/portrait/
(above) Microsoft Portrait enables video communications on Pocket PCs
HP releases HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5400/h5500 series WLAN driver update
HP has released a “SoftPac” user-installable update for iPAQ h5400/h5500 Pocket PCs that enhances the iPAQ’s Wi-Fi capability. Specifically, it does the following:
Integrates LEAP user interface into Microsoft WLAN user interface.
Provides LEAP support for those customers accessing Cisco LEAP-enabled networks.
Improves connectivity.
Improves roaming ability.
HP warns that this WLAN driver update is not compatible with the previously released LEAP supported driver for the iPAQ and with networks that use LEAP authentication. The SoftPac can be downloaded at the following HP Web page:
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/handhelds/us/download/20019.html
Consumer Reports gives Verizon top honors
In their February 2004 issue, Consumer Reports magazine rated Verizon Wireless number one in service in all 12 of the top U.S. markets. Nextel gets second place where it is available (absent from 5 of the top 12 markets). Qwest scored high in western markets and Sprint scored low in most areas of the country. CR warns against GSM, unless you live in an area that provides good service and you don’t travel much within the U.S. Their research shows that CDMA networks have better coverage at this point. However, no Smartphones or PDA phones were reviewed for their article.
http://www.pdabuzz.com/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=30&itemid=146
Verizon expanding 1xEV-DO network
Verizon Wireless will spend as much as one billion dollars to expand its 1xEV-DO broadband access service nationally. The third-generation network provides average user speeds of 300 to 500 kilobits per second. It is expected to be available in many major U.S. cities this summer.
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=22915
Slow handheld growth predicted
Jupiter Research forecasts that the installed base of handhelds will be at 14 million by the end of 2003 and grow to 20 million by the end of 2008. They further report that the rate of adoption increases as size and complexity decreases. According to Jupiter Research, the “sweet spot” for handheld devices will be those that offer voice and personal information management (PIM) functions.
http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/4454.html
Two-way speech translation prototype on Pocket PC
A two-way speech translation system that runs on the iPAQ Pocket PC has been developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Cepstral LLC, Multimodal Technologies Inc., and Mobile Technologies Inc. The system translates medical information from Arabic to English and vice versa. You push one of the iPAQ’s buttons, speak the medical word or phrase into the microphone, and the application translates it. The team is developing similar solutions for the U.S. military, with the aim of providing translation in medical and security situations. They are also working on solutions for those attending the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/121703/PDA_translates_speech_121703.html
Microsoft and TNT Express announce large European deployment of Windows Mobile devices
Microsoft Corp. has announced that TNT Express, a business-to-business express delivery company in Europe, will deploy up to 24,000 Windows Mobile-based devices to its drivers and warehouse operatives over the next three years. Drivers will communicate with TNT Express local offices using software designed and built specifically for them, which runs on the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework. This communication involves the sending and receiving of a variety of job-specific information. The deployment is scheduled to begin in January.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/3/e/83e64acc-a0f7-481b-8097-499ed8ce2b55/TNT_and_Microsoft.doc
Samsung’s SCH-i600: an Intelligently Designed Windows Mobile Smartphone!
by Ed Zabrek
I’m a physician and my profession is a highly mobile one. I first became aware of Microsoft’s intent to get into the smart cellular phone business several years ago at one of their mobility conferences. Since that time, I have been anxiously waiting for the opportunity to incorporate one of these incredible devices into my daily routine. Windows Mobile Smartphones have been available to users in Europe and Asia for the past 8 months, but we Y
anks have had to wait patiently while U.S. wireless service providers tested the devices thoroughly to insure compatibility and ease of use. Fortunately, the testing is over, and Verizon Wireless has recently introduced the world’s only Windows Mobile Smartphone for CDMA networks, the Samsung i600. In this author’s opinion, the wait was well worth it!
Small and powerful, with a sturdy clamshell design
The Samsung i600 delivers all the features of current Web-enabled mobile phones, and more, in a small, clamshell design that is roughly the same size and only a fraction of an ounce heavier. With it you can wirelessly access the Internet to view Web sites, access e-mail, and download personalized content, including ring tones, wallpaper, games, and more. This slim, lightweight device does not have a touchscreen or stylus. Instead, it offers one-handed navigation and predictive text entry, which is fairly easy to use. However, I’ve been using a touchscreen for the past decade, and often find myself tapping on the i600’s screen with my index finger in a futile attempt to navigate. Samsung’s i500, a Palm OS-based device, does have a touchscreen. I find it easier to use and would prefer that Microsoft and device manufacturers incorporate touchscreen capability into the next generation of Windows Mobile Smartphones. (See my further comments on the subject in the sidebar.)
What sets the Samsung i600 (and the Motorola MPx200) apart from other Windows Mobile Smartphones is its clamshell design. It is also the first CDMA Smartphone. The Verizon and Sprint networks in the U.S. are based on CDMA technology. Currently Verizon Wireless is the only U.S. carrier distributing the i600.
The i600 has a sleek silver metallic finish and a solid, ergonomic feel. The device sports a small external monochrome display that lets you check caller ID and remaining battery life without having to open the phone. The top of the device has an IrDA port, and a cutout to which you can attach a carrying strap. The headphone/hands-free jack, the volume controls, and the voice record button are located on the left side of the device. The right side has a “Quick List” launch button that allows you to lock the device, turn off the radio (for airplane mode), and more, quickly and easily. Below this button is the Internet application launch button that lets you access the Web quickly. None of these buttons can be reassigned to launch other applications, a feature found on Pocket PCs. I would love to see that capability in a future Smartphone.
Oversized color screen
On opening the clamshell, I was immediately impressed with the brilliant color screen. Larger than your typical color cell phone’s display, the vivid TFT (thin film transistor) screen offers one of the most advanced screen technologies available today. Comparing it to the screen on the Motorola MPx200, the i600 is noticeably brighter at identical screen settings.Samsung has pioneered TFT technology, and with 65,000 colors, the i600 provides excellent imaging for multimedia such as video clips, photos, games, Web sites, e-mails, etc.
Comfortable, easy-to-use navigation
The oversized, brightly backlit navigation keys and numeric keypad are easy and comfortable to use—more so, in my opinion, than the keys found on the Motorola MPx200 Smartphone. (The backlighting of the i600 is also significantly easier to read under dim lighting conditions.) The top two buttons flanking the navigation pad activate the left and right “soft key” options, which are displayed on the bottom of the screen. For example, in Screen 1, pressing the left button would take you to the Programs folder; pressing the right button would take you to Contacts. Between these two buttons is the central navigation pad, which lets you move up, down, left, or right on the display, or select an option by pressing the embedded OK button. For example, you would use the navigation pad to move through entries in your Contacts list and press OK to select a specific contact.
(above) Screen 1: The Samsung i600 has relatively large hardware buttons, making it easy to activate applications and make phone calls.
Below the navigation pad and immediately above the alpha-numeric keypad are the Send key (left) and End key (right). When Send is pressed and held down for 2 seconds, a “speaker” icon appears on the top system tray, indicating that the speakerphone has been activated and you can make a phone call. The quality of the speakerphone is excellent; it even works well in the car (with the windows closed). Simply speak naturally and the party on the other end of the line should find the conversation indistinguishable from a landline conversation.
The 12 alpha-numeric keys are larger than the keys found on most cell phones, making it easier to dial phone numbers and relatively easy to key in text. This is a cell-phone-style keypad, not a QWERTY thumb keypad like those found on the new Palm Treo 600 and new Blackberry Phone. However, you can add an external keyboard to the i600 for tasks requiring extensive text entry, such as responding to e-mail. The same flexible keyboard that Samsung offers as an option for the i700 Pocket PC Phone Edition works with the i600 Smartphone.
First Smartphone equipped with an SDIO card slot
The i600 is the first Windows Mobile Smartphone to be equipped with an SDIO card slot, which means that users can not only add storage memory, they can add IO devices in the smaller card format. These include wireless LAN adapters, digital cameras, Bluetooth adapters, and more.
I am currently using the slot to add storage memory via a SimpleTech 512 MB SD card (http://www.simpletech.com). The easiest way to transfer digital pictures, videos, and music to the card is using an SD card reader attached to my desktop PC. I use the ActiveSync connection to install games and applications. Either way, saving them to the SD card is a breeze. This storage card will continue to serve me well in the future, as more medical applications become available for the Windows Mobile Smartphone.
Built-in and add-on software
The Samsung i600 comes with Microsoft’s first version of its Smartphone OS and applications (called Smartphone 2002) built into the device. This software gives Smartphones a set of applications that offers most of the functionality found on Pocket PCs, and these applications have been optimized for the smaller screen of, and the input method used with, the Smartphone. You’ll find the following Microsoft software features on the i600:
A Today screen, which lists upcoming appointments, unread e-mail and SMS messages, and other information. As with a Pocket PC, you can customize this screen.
Pocket Outlook, which lets you list and organize your Tasks, keep track of the addresses and phone numbers of your Contacts, be reminded of Calendar appointments, and read and respond to e-mail in your Inbox.
Smartdial, which makes it easy to find and dial a phone number.
MSN Messenger, which lets you create, send, receive, and read instant messages.
Pocket Internet Explorer, which allows you to browse HTML and WAP Web sites.
Windows Media Player, for playing and streaming audio and video.
ActiveSync, which lets you synchronize e-mail, calendar, and contacts with your desktop PC or corporate network via a USB, infrared, or GPRS wireless connection.
A variety of setup and configuration utilities.
A file manager, a task manager, a space maker, and a system information utility.
(above) Screen 2: The Smartphone’s Today screen lists appointments, unread e-mail and SMS messages, and more.
For a more detailed review of this basic Smartphone software, check out David Shier’s review in the November 2003 issue of Pocket PC magazine (http://www.PocketPCmag.com/nov03/smartphone.asp). The next version of the software, which will be called Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone, will be optimized for Bluetooth. If you are interested in using a Bluetooth card with your i600, you should get an upgrade CD from Samsung or Verizon if one is made available.
The only add-on software bundled with the i600 is Advanced Voice Recognition (AVR) by Voice Signal. This free, user-installable program is found on the companion CD that ships with the i600. AVR gives you the ability to use voice commands to dial a phone number, to select and dial a number from Contacts, and to activate menu commands. You don’t have to train the program to rec
ognize your voice. Once it’s installed, you’re ready to go.
A variety of third-party applications are available for the Smartphone platform (Screen 3). You can use the built-in Pocket Internet Explorer to wirelessly connect to Handango’s Web site (http://www.handango.com/verizonwireless) and download applications, games, and more, directly to your i600. In addition, Verizon’s Wireless Sync feature allows you to send and receive e-mail, and to synchronize Tasks, Calendar, and Contacts information wirelessly. The Inbox lets you view all incoming e-mails, voice mails, and SMS text messages at a glance. You can also synchronize information via a direct connection to your desktop PC using ActiveSync.
(above) Screen 3: A variety of third-party Smartphone applications are available on Handango’s Web site. Tube, shown here, is a mobile metro map and route finder.
Starting the New Year right!
The clamshell design, brilliant screen, and easy-to-use buttons make the Samsung i600 my Smartphone choice for now. Missing are a built-in digital camera, Bluetooth and/or wireless LAN capability, and a touchscreen (a limitation of the Microsoft Smartphone design—see sidebar). The SDIO card slot would let you add a Bluetooth SD card. I haven’t tested this, but Socket’s Bluetooth card works great according to one of my sources. A couple of third-party hardware manufacturers sell digital cameras with SDIO interfaces, but none of them have been made available for the Smartphone at this time. I would love to see future versions of this device include two SDIO card slots, which would allow the user to add both storage memory and an SDIO peripheral.
Pocket PC magazine, Apr/May 2004 Page 2