“A new research report contends that by failing to offer onboard encryption for e-mail files stored on Windows Mobile devices, Microsoft may be putting itself at a competitive disadvantage and leaving users vulnerable to data loss…According to the latest report published by J. Gold Associates, a Northborough, Mass.-based wireless research firm, Microsoft’s decision not to offer file encryption capabilities on its Windows Mobile platform reflects poorly on the technology compared to other popular wireless systems…Windows Mobile provides for encryption of data while it is in transit to the device, but leaves sensitive corporate data open to access if one of the handhelds has its password hacked, the analyst said. Gold specifically highlights an issue in Microsoft’s Direct Push technology, which is used to move data between the latest versions of Exchange Server and Windows Mobile devices.”

It’s hard to figure out what exactly the reporter is saying in this incredibly poorly-written article, and the original report isn’t free, but after Googling around and finding another writeup, I think J. Gold Associates is expressing concern that Server ActiveSync/Direct Push writes to an unencrypted Pocket Outlook email store, and that theft or loss of the device leaves only a brute-forceable device password between an adversary and the secure email content on the device, and that is a serious problem with WM security as opposed to RIM devices and others.

I don’t know what RIM does beyond the usual password control, and I really can’t comment on the report itself, but… this doesn’t surprise me. Pervasive storage encryption takes up a significant amount of CPU and slows down device performance, and as it stands, WM devices are pretty slow working out of flash. Second, this is a mitigable situation; out of the box, WM5+MSFP devices have Remote Wipe capability, plus one can implement a password policy that will wipe the unit after a number of tries. So, unless we get more details, I’m forced to conclude this is an inflammatory article that doesn’t really illustrate security or the lack thereof with respect to Server ActiveSync and Direct Push.

Here’s a list of various CompactFlash cards listed in Pricegrabber’s database, and the lowest price on each model. Clicking through to the vendor selling the product helps support this site, so if you’re interested in learning more about the product, click. Here are the five most popular CompactFlash cards and their prices according to Pricegrabber searches:

You can browse the CompactFlash card category to look for more deals.

“Yesterday we voiced our opinion that ASUSTeK may soon be one of the main players in the Smartphone market ? but it seems they will be one of the leaders in all Windows Mobile-powered phones’ market, as the FCC also revealed information on the Asus Mars II Pocket PC Phone, which will be available as the O2 XDA Zinc.”

While I don’t subscribe to the notion that HTC is faltering in designing and releasing new Windows Mobile devices (they do get many things right, and you can’t fault their record of updating their devices - OEM or ODM), ASUSTeK has certainly come up with a worthy competitor. Apart from a few minor shortcomings that has turned off certain segments of the market (I want VGA! SDHC would be nice, too) the HTC Hermes design is certainly the current reference standard. The Asus Mars II comes close, but falls short with only tri-band GSM and single-band UMTS (no HSDPA), but trumps the Hermes with a 2.0MP autofocus camera - the Hermes’ 400MHz Samsung is arguably as fast as the 520MHz Intel sported by the Mars II. The Mars II will be released as the O2 Xda Zinc, though no information is yet forthcoming on availability. We’d guess based on previous experience you should see it within the next 3 months in Asia and Europe.

… Read More

As spotted on PocketGear is Spider, the classic solitaire game known to nearly everyone. …

Astraware’s latest press release brings news of a spooktacular Halloween sale, “a special sales event offering a cauldron-full of great games at scarily low prices! Starting on Friday 27th October and running until midnight on 31st October 2006, six weird and wonderful games will be available with up to 50% off their regular price. For Club Astraware members, there’s a special Halloween treat as one of them will be available free!”…

4Pockets has released 4Pockets Sudoku, their own version of the popular numbers game, featuring a “true Sudoku Generator, [where] puzzles are generated to match your skill level. We have also added a comprehensive hint system which helps you learn some of the more difficult moves. The pen and eraser mode allows you to draw directly onto the play area . This is useful for making notes or working out your next moves.”…

“Tom Tom is one of those names that have been around the GPS business for quite a while. They’ve had some excellent products and they’ve even produced a dud or two. Tom Tom Navigator 6 is the latest in their software lineup for PDAs. Although it’s not commercially available in the United States yet, I had the opportunity to evaluate its functionality and the current U.S. maps that come with it. Tom Tom 5 has been one of my primary navigation tools for the past year or so and I was anxious to see what improvements had been made.”

Without question, Tom Tom is one of the biggest names in the GPS navigational market with regards to both standalone devices and value-add software solutions. Whether you’re a current Tom Tom user possibly looking for an upgrade or if you’re in the market for a new solution, be sure to hop on over and check out the review.

This device was first revealed as the “Tin” at Computex earlier this year. Back then, its specs weren’t groundbreaking, and unfortunately, nothing has changed. Now known as the iDo S630, it packs a Freescale i.MX21 350MHz CPU, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, tri-band GSM/GPRS connectivity, a bright LTPS QVGA TFT-LCD, Bluetooth (with A2DP support), Wi-Fi, a miniSD slot, a 2.0-megapixel camera, and Windows Mobile 5.0. If you can stomach some of its shortcomings and would cherish the thought of having one in your pocket, then you can expect to pick it up for around HK$4,180 (or US$537).

“Safety Cameras, or as they used to be known, Speed Cameras, have become a fact of life in modern motoring, and like them or not they are here to stay. Even the most diligent of us runs the risk of a moment’s inattention finding us a few mph over the limit. As it is legal to provide motorists with the wherewithal to locate cameras, presumably because this will achieve the result of slowing the traffic in high risk areas, a number of products have become available for that purpose, ranging from paper maps, to stand alone GPS location devices like the Road Angel, to software based solutions.”

You may recall a post a few weeks back regarding this application. 4WinMobile take it for a spin and gives it a positive verdict. Now keep in mind that the testing was done in the UK. It would be interesting to get a similar review from someone in the US. Check it out.

“It looks like i-mate’s ongoing collaboration with TechFaith is starting to pick up a good head of steam, seeing how they’ve gone and entrusted the Chinese ODM with serving up the de facto successor to the HTC-sourced JASJAR.”

iMate is confirmed picking up the UBiQUiO 601 as the K-JAR - tri-band GSM with GPRS, TI OMAP CPU, 2.8″ QVGA TFT-LCD, Bluetooth 1.2, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and miniSD slot. Apart from the form-factor, this is very far in terms of specs from the 3G, 3.6″ VGA, SDIO-packing JASJAR - anybody else of the same opinion? BTW, IMHO, the iMate name is only marginally an improvement of the original - I keep thinking it sounds like the latest in avant-garde tableware.

Day one with the Dash… Many of you are aware of the new Smartphone released this week by T-mobile. For those of you who missed it, it’s a variant of the HTC Excalibur (S620), plus and minus a few bits.

I’ve been using PDAs sine 2000; my first device was the grand old Handspring Visor Deluxe, and I’ve owned several devices since then. The Dash, however, was my first foray with… Read More

“Handango, probably the largest online mobile software store, has abruptly closed my account for no stated reason, thus making it impossible to honor a raffle prize that I won from them last year. History: In 2005, I won a raffle that Handango had, which resulted in me receiving $5,000.00 in ad allowance to use on advertising my products on their site and in their newsletters. When I first tried to use part of the balance to take out two ads, Handango forgot to schedule one of the ads, so they apologized by giving me two additional ad allowances…”

This is what I call one sticky situation - all I can say is read through the email thread (if you have the time - there’s a lot of email!) and you can get a feel for how both sides came to the decisions they made. Got a comment? Please post in this thread.

One of the most important applications you can have on your Windows Mobile device is a safe, secure place to store important data. If you’ve never owned such a program (shame on you) or if you’ve always wanted to use SplashData’s SplashID, now is your chance! The great folks at SplashData are giving away a free SplashID For Pocket PC license to 10 — count ‘em, 10 — lucky Pocket PC Thoughts readers.

Here are the rules of this giveaway:

? Post a reply to this thread with your answer to one (or all) of these questions:

— What type of secure data do you (or would you) currently store most often on your Windows Mobile device? … [more]