Asian Tiger

I had the opportunity to attend Microsoft’s MEDC 2006 recently where developers gather and drool over smartphones and software that reside in them. During this conference, we were exposed to the Windows Mobile 5 technology. I thought I’ll just share with you about the new Windows Mobile 5 (codename “Magneto” during development).

Here’s what’s new in Windows Mobile 5:

PowerPoint Inclusion
I am so glad that this missing piece of jigsaw puzzle is included together with Windows Mobile 5. Previously, only Word and Excel were included, making it difficult for users to view PowerPoint files without a third-party software.

Word and Excel Enhancements
Unlike in the previous version (Pocket PC 2003), Word now comes with the capability to add tables and graphics. Excel on the other hand has charting capabilities. For those who have used Pocket PC 2003, we all know how important these new functionalities are (great justification to upgrade your unit ).

Media Player
Windows Mobile 5 comes preinstalled with Windows Media Player 10. With this version, your smartphone can now play WMA, WMV, MP3 and AVI files.

Caller Identification
A great improvement over Windows Mobile 2003 is the ability of Windows Mobile 5 to have photo caller identification. Now, you don’t have to read the names of those calling you but rather look at the person’s photo. A quick glance will tell you if it is your wife calling or your mother-in-law.

Even though Windows Mobile 5 is recently made available to the market, Microsoft is already working on the next version (Windows Mobile 6) which they have codenamed “Crossbow”. Crossbow is rumoured to have improved battery life and greater processing powers.

Tags: MEDC 2006, Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile 5, Magneto

I have just laid my hands on a beautiful Apple 15″ PowerBook G4. The unit came dirty with food leftovers on the keyboards, trackpad and screen. I took the liberty of cleaning up this sexy piece of machinery and in about 30 minutes, it looks brand new.

This particular model of Apple product has been discontinued and replaced with the Intel based MacBook Pro. What am I doing with this machine, you asked. This unit in my hands is up for sale and I am contemplating buying it. My worry is really the cost of maintaining an obsolete Apple machine and the fact that I have been a Windows user for as long as I could remember (circa 15 years).

I have heard so many good things about the Mac and now that I can really afford to own one, I can’t decide. A few of my friends who made the switch from Windows to Mac swore that they won’t be supporting Bill Gates and his Windows anymore. MacOS has really converted my friends based on it functionalities, ease of use and reliability.

Tough decisions in life, isn’t it.
p.s. Blogged this using Firefox on MacOS X on PowerBook G4 on Apple.

Tags: Apple, PowerBook, switch from Windows to Mac

March of this year, I got myself a Samsung X200 mobile phone. I liked the phone for its simplicity and design aesthetics. However, there are 2 shortcomings that I observed.

Firstly, this nifty little mobile does not word wrap when composing or receiving SMS. That makes reading SMS difficult and troublesome. It is really a hassle to read SMSe if you are behind the wheel.

The second shortcoming is that of their preloaded ringtones. There are only limited selections of polyphonic tones available and mostly suited for the much younger generation’s taste. I hear that T-mobile ringtones which is available in the United States are awesome and there is a large collection of tones for download. I’ve not checked it out but I sure will immediately after this post. For me personally, I prefer those monotones that goes ring-ring…. ring-ring; a simple tone to tell me that there is an incoming call.

If you own the same mobile as mine, do yourself a favour and download free ringtones for your own mobile.

Tags: Samsung, X200, ringtones, shortcomings