News

HTC release WM6 upgrades for X7500 and S620

Great news for owners of the HTC X7500 (HTC Advantage) or the HTC S620 (HTC Excalibur) – HTC have just released official Windows Mobile 6 ROM upgrades for both of these devices.

S620/X7500 WM6 Upgrades

As with other upgrades offered by HTC you can download for free from the HTC e-Club site but, if you have not done so already, you’ll have to register for an account using the serial number of your device.

Don’t forget to backup your important data though as the update will wipe everything from your device.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, Windows Mobile 6, HTC X7500, HTC S620]

HTC announce Hosted Exchange Email Service

HTCmail – fully hosted email solution gives mobile professionals the fastest and simplest way to access critical business information on the move.

Hot on the heels of the HTC TyTN II announcement, HTC also today announced the launch of HTCmail, a fully hosted, secure, and managed email service based on Microsoft Hosted Exchange. HTCmail will bring the benefits of always-connected business to mobile professionals. The HTC offering provides seamless and real-time access to up to five different email accounts, either personal or work mailboxes, aggregated and instantly delivered to a mobile device through Outlook 2007. Features include email, contacts and calendar, enabling users to easily access information and communications while on the go. HTCmail is compatible with all HTC devices, and will be rolling out across selected European markets from September 2007.

“Today’s launches – both HTC TyTN II and HTCmail – are all about fast, easy access on the move to the kind of features and connectivity previously reserved for the PC world,”said Florian Seiche, Vice President of HTC Europe. “This proposition is a perfect match for both mobile professionals and advanced mobile consumers on the go who can now benefit from the powerful feature set that the HTC TyTN II offers and the true high-speed mobile access that many of our leading operator partners are offering.”

“Combining a broad range of Windows Mobile-powered devices from HTC with a rich messaging experience delivered through Microsoft Hosted Exchange is ideal for mobile professionals who demand enterprise-class communication services with cutting-edge design,” said Michael O’Hara, general manager, Communications Sector at Microsoft. “With HTCmail, small to medium enterprises can benefit from anywhere access to information without the expense or ongoing commitment of on-premise software and IT skills.”

More about HTCmail

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, TyTN II, HTC, HTCmail]

Sandisk announces 8GB Cruzer® Micro USB flash drive

SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced an 8 gigabyte model of its popular Cruzer® Micro USB flash drive, double the largest capacity previously available in the Cruzer Micro line.

SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB

Only two inches long, a half-inch thick and weighing less than half an ounce, the 8GB Cruzer Micro nonetheless can hold a massive personal library – 1,600 ultra-high-resolution digital pictures, 2,000 digital songs or five hours of high-quality home video.

“Just a few years ago, USB flash drives had such limited capacities that they were only useful for moving a few files from one computer to another,” said Ittai Golde, senior director of product marketing for the USB Division of SanDisk. “Now, you don’t have to decide what files to put on a Cruzer Micro. You can load the drive with virtually everything you might need when you’re away from your primary computer.”

Cruzer Micro packs an impressive list of features into a small package:

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): Tracy & Matt, SanDisk, Cruzer, USB flash drive, Compact Flash]

Sandisk annouces 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo

SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced two new capacities in its high-performance SanDisk Ultra® II line: a 4-gigabyte (GB)1 SDHC™ Plus card and an 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo™ card. The announcement was made at IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, where SanDisk is exhibiting at Booth 130, in Hall 15.1 of Messe Berlin, through Sept. 5.

Both cards offer fast read and write speeds of 10 megabytes per second2 (10MB/sec), reducing the waiting time between camera shots and the download time when transferring photos and video to a computer.

“With video recording becoming a standard feature on digital still cameras, memory cards need more capacity and speed to capture not only high-quality photos, but also video” said Susan Park, senior product marketing manger for SanDisk Ultra II cards. “Our SanDisk Ultra II line of high-capacity memory cards provides increased storage and speed to meet the growing demands of digital photography, so consumers can capture, preserve, and relive their most precious moments.”

“High-resolution digital still cameras and high-definition video camcorders using flash memory are changing the way people capture their memories,” said Ron Glaz, program director for digital capture devices and photofinishing research at IDC. “But the extra clarity and detail of these images require significant increases in the speed and storage of flash memory, creating demand for capacities such as 4GB and 8GB that would have seemed outlandish a few years ago.”

Beyond speed and capacity, the 4GB SanDisk Ultra II SDHC Plus card offers both SD™ and USB functionality in one card. Designed with SanDisk’s unique, patented Hinge Lock technology, the card may be inserted into a USB port on any computer. This two-in-one SD-plus-USB feature eliminates the need to carry cables or card readers to transfer photos and videos from cameras or camcorders. Despite its small size, the hinge is sturdy – having survived more than 10,000 open-close cycles in SanDisk’s durability testing.

The 8GB SanDisk Ultra II Memory Stick PRO Duo is designed for recording high-definition videos and high-resolution still images on Sony digital cameras and camcorders.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): Tracy & Matt, SanDisk, ExpressCard, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Compact Flash]

NTT DoCoMo to Unveil Windows Mobile 6.0 Smartphones

Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and its eight regional subsidiaries announced today the development of two smartphones equipped with the Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6.0 Japanese-edition operating system.

The FOMA™ F1100 and FOMA HT1100 allow users to interface with PCs through proven applications such as Outlook® Mobile and Internet Explorer® Mobile, while the scalable plug-in environment means access to a growing number of applications. The HSDPA-capable handsets employ McAfee® security scan to ensure high-speed, protected browsing of PC websites and email management. The security scan function identifies and isolates malicious data before it is downloaded.

FOMA F1100

FOMA HT1100

Data entry on the F1100 and HT1100 is accomplished with a standard ten-key input layout — as such, these handsets combine smartphone capability with mobile phone convenience.

DoCoMo plans to begin marketing the handsets during the first quarter of calendar year 2008.

The FOMA F1100, developed with business users in mind, can access both FOMA and wireless LAN networks for IP telephony. DoCoMo envisions the F1100 doubling as a VoIP mobile phone using in-house WLANs equipped for DoCoMo’s PASSAGE DUPLE™ service or the business mopera IP Centrex service, which enables outbound or internal communication via IP Centrex devices on DoCoMo networks (rather than via in-house PBX). The handset will come with a fingerprint authentication feature to ensure tight security control.

The FOMA HT1100 (aka HTC Touch II), targeted at active business consumers who also want a handset for personal use, will feature HTC’s stylish and versatile TouchFLO™ Touch Cube 3-dimentional interface that allows users to access and operate a variety of functions with the slide of a thumb. Audio visual files, such as YouTube™ Mobile content, can be enjoyed using Streaming Media software and HTC’s Audio Manager music player. The handset supports DoCoMo’s WORLD WING™ international roaming service.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, FOMA F1100, DoCoMo, FOMA HT1100]

Toshiba announce 32-GB SD cards

Thoshiba announce the first SDHC memory cards to hit 32GB! They are releasing several models including a 16GB SDHC and a 8GB microSDHC.

SDHC Memory Cards

Expect to see these memory cards go on sale over the next few months. Beware, however, as the initial price of the high-end models is likely to be rather high!

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): Tracy & Matt, Memory, Toshiba, SD cards, SCHC]

Orange to shift the HTC Shift?

About a week ago I mentioned a rumour that had been circulating about the possibility of some exclusive HTC devices coming to the Orange network. Since then a number of messages have arrived in my email box that seem to support the rumour.

Two anonymous tipsters, one of which claims to have some involvement with Orange, both suggested the same thing; Orange’s new ‘HTC Exclusive’ device package will be an HTC Shift based unit coupled with Microsoft Communicator and an OCS 2007 backend on a flat rate, unlimited data tariff.

While this seems to be nothing more than speculation at the moment, several different sources seem to be claiming the same thing. Personally I would be surprised to see Orange shift to the UMPC market, especially when they seem not to have shown any interest in the HTC Advantage. I don’t think that Orange would consider rolling out Microsoft Communicator and OCS 2007 to it’s customers and it really would be a big ask for their customer service team to be able to support it!

As for the unlimited data tariff, it would probably be capped at 100MB! 😛

Orange have not responded to my emails and have neither confirmed nor denied the rumour but, as always, if you know anything else then please drop us a line and we’ll share it with everyone else!

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, Orange, HTC, HTC Shift, Microsoft Communicator]

HTC Shift pre-order

It would appear that last weeks hot topic in the Windows Mobile world was HTC Shift. The chaps over at eXpansys just dropped me a line to say that they are now accepting pre-orders for the HTC Shift and that they are expecting the first batch to ship sometime in October.

HTC Shift Pre-order

So you can pre-order now for just £869.95 (£740.38 ex-vat) to ensure that you get the HTC Shift as soon as it’s avalailable in the UK.

HTC Shift specification:

Posted By: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, HTC Shift, HTC]

JAVOedge release JAVOHolster for Palm Treo 750

JAVOedge have just released a great holster accessory solution for on-the-go professionals. A stylish, yet durable JAVOedge Holster Belt Clip designed to quickly secure and release your Palm Treo 750. Easy clip to your belt or inside your trouser pocket.

JAVOholster

JAVOholster

JAVOHolster is an on-the-go person’s dream. It is specifically designed for convenience and brisk functionality. It features padded felt insulation to prevent scratching of your device when snapping it on and off the holster. It also features a heavy duty locking swivel belt clip which gives your device the mobility you require. Your device will face inwards while snapped on to the holster to protect its sensitive touch screen and keypad. With the JAVOHolster, you can literally snap your device on and off with one hand. JAVOHolster, for people that require easy and mobile protection.

Compatible devices:

Posted By: Matt

[Post tag(s): Smartphone Blog, JAVOedge, JAVOHolster, HTC S620, Palm Treo 750, Tracy & Matt]

Sprint announce upgraded HTC Touch

US mobile carrier Sprint have just announced their version of the HTC Touch; The “Sprint Touch”.

Sprint Touch

So what’s different about the Sprint version? First of all this is a CDMA version of the model Alasdair reviewed recently. You’ll also get Sprint TV, and Music Store. The music player is Sprint’s Groove Mobile store.

The major advantages the Sprint Touch has over the GSM version is that the processor speed has been doubled: 400 Mhz as opposed to 200 Mhz. The modem is fast EVDO (software upgradeable to EVDO Rev A), not slower EDGE. It’s also been said that when the Rev A upgrade comes, it will activate the built-in GPS, and you’ll be able to use Telenav for GPS navigation.

Sprint have yet to confirm the price for this gadget, but said it’s probably coming in November. These changes will come as a welcome upgrade as many feel that the HTC Touch is somewhat under powered. Where we’ll see a similar upgraded version here in Europe is unknown but I feel it’s pretty unlikely.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Sprint, HTC Touch, HTC Elf, HTC P3450]