These days everybody is talking about Windows Mobile 5.0 and the new phones coming with this operating system. Together with the Messaging and Security Feature Pack, these phones will have all the functionality of a Blackberry and an iPod together. You can stay in touch with your office and check your e-mail on the go. But you also can listen to your favorite music or play a game while waiting at the airport for a flight….

Sadly not a 3D accelerated version of the popular numbers game, Sudoku GL is a “brand new variation of the highly popular Sudoku which has taken the world by storm. This time, the challenge is even greater - with fewer given numbers and only Greater than or Less than symbols to guide you, this puzzle is like discovering Sudoku all over again!”…

Thanks to Michu for tipping me off that a (very early!) alpha of the upcoming Warcraft III clone Medieval is now up on PocketGaming.de. This has issues with WM5 devices - it wouldn’t even start on my X51v - but the included Win32 build seems OK….

As announced on Aximsite (and originally the Pocket PC Mag forums) is a new arcade game by the title of Prehistoric: Road to Hollywood, based on the original Prehistorik for the PC, but with all new graphics, levels, and sounds….

“The use of devices, such as Griffin’s “iTrip”, was banned in the UK as their transmissions can interfere with broadcasts by legal radio stations. However, the device and other similar accessories for MP3 players have been widely available online. Now certain FM transmitters, which can be tuned to spare frequencies, will be legal from 8 December. The new amendments will also reflect a European standard on the low-power transmitters. All approved transmitters will carry a CE mark indicating approval for sale in the European Union.”

A law dating back to WWII has prevented the legal use of low-power FM transmitters in the UK. Now, a change in the Exemptions to the Wireless Telegraphy Regulations makes them legal as long as they carry the CE mark. Though this FAQ doesn’t reflect the new ruling, it does give a little insight into continued restrictions by the UK Office of Communication even after the new exemptions. If you live in the UK, did you even realize while you could legally purchase one, it was illegal to use it?

“Ever since I saw the early press on the release of iGo Navigator in Europe a year or so ago, I’ve wanted to try it out. It seemed to have a lot of the features I wanted and it had an interface that was attractive and functional. Recently, I got to work with a pre-release version of the application and USA maps and I put it through its paces.”

GpsPasSion.com has a nicely detailed review of the iGo Navigator program that ought to be released for the US shortly. Overall, the program gets a thumbs up, with some caveats of course, but the bundled maps are a let down - they’re at least a year behind. Hopefully, that will be remedied with the full release version. Personally I’m a little wary of having the program locked to a memory card as (1) you can’t use your memory slot for other programs, and (2) you have to go back to iGo if anything goes wrong with the card. Still, I’ve seen other good reviews and user feedback on iGo, so if you’re in the market for a good map program, this one should be on your shortlist.

WiFi, Wireless Local Area Network, 802.11b/g, Wireless Fidelity… call it what you will. It’s everywhere and it’s an excellent (cheap) way to stay connected. Sure, 3rd Generation mobile radios are rolling out, but without flat rate tariffs, coupled with the limited availability of 3G,WiFi still remains the most affordable option for mobile users who require broadband. A number of 3rd party adapters/antennas… Read More

The Samsung BlackJack runs Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU3 instead of AKU2, so there are some unique changes that are noticeable. For a full list, read the post over at MoDaCo.

The default theme, seen as the top image below, is boring and ugly. Samsung, though, includes several good-looking and functional themes, as seen below… Read More

As a radio announcer, it’s rare that I step from behind the microphone, but as the newest member of the Contributing Editor-in-Training team, it’s time to drop the pmradio persona and become just Paul Martin. I’ve been browsing and occasionally posting on Pocket PC Thoughts since August of 2001, and enjoyed asking lots of questions and occasionally providing them to a great community of mobile device users. And so, it is a great honor for Jason to ask me to become a member of the Contributing Editor team!

From my first Casio Databank watch, I’ve loved having portable data. However, because of my budget, I’ve usually been on the dusty edge of technology: breathing the dust of the crowd as they move on to another device and I can take advantage of the closeout sales! My first actual Windows Mobile device was the Compaq C140 clamshell, followed by the Philips Nino 320, Jornada 568, and now my Dell Axim X51v. In my day job as a local-station radio announcer for a medium-sized radio group, I do most of the local computer tech support and help provide job security for the tech guys in HQ by coming up with off-the-wall ideas to marry technologies. I am concerned how “provided job security for others” would look on a resume, however.

I’ve long appreciated the job that Jason and the ever-expanding team have done for a long time. I hope to keep up that tradition as I help provide some of the news and stories that make Pocket PC Thoughts such a great community.

And the winner of the Neuros Recorder 2 Plus is:

knaak

Thanks to all that participated!… Read More

Laridian has released an updated version of PocketBible 3 that adds a few new features. One of the most welcome additions is a horizontal scroll bar, when necessary, to search results. Often the verse returned would scroll off the right side of the screen and the actual search terms wouldn’t be shown in the search result window. Now, a horizontal bar will appear allowing you to briefly scan the whole verse to see if it is what you wanted.

With more and more people installing additional translations and dictionaries, Laridian has added the ability to set your preferred Greek and Hebrew dictionaries. This is useful if you install either the either the King James Version with the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance or the New American Standard with Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance but would rather default to the more detailed dictionaries like the Complete Word Study available for the Old Testament (Hebrew) or New Testament (Greek). The update is free to all current PocketBible 3 owners.

“Spb Software House, the leading Pocket PC software developer, unveils Spb UniThemes 2.0 - the improved technology for changing Pocket PC look-and-feel. Every UniTheme is a complete set of skins for all skinnable standard applications, like Calculator, Dialer and Windows Media Player as well as Spb’s own Pocket PC applications, all designed in one style. With new 2.0 version Spb Software House proposes 6 new and updated UniThemes with smart installers and improved Windows Mobile 5 support.”

Spb Software House has released the second revision of UniThemes - a collection of themes and skins for a range of standard Windows Mobile applications and Spb applications for Pocket PCs. If you’re an Spb Club member, you can grab the new UniThemes for free. Otherwise, they’re $9.95.

Earlier in the week, we brought you Part 1 of a photo tour of i-mate’s booth at GITEX, with most of it centred on the new PDAL. Today, we have Part 2, and it’s all about the JAQ3. More pictures after the break. … [more]

“Parents and teachers are forcing some schools to dismantle wireless computer networks amid fears that they could damage children’s health.
More schools are putting transmitters in classrooms to give pupils wireless access from laptops to the school computer network and the internet. But many parents and some scientists fear that low levels of microwave radiation emitted by the transmitters could be harmful, causing loss of concentration, headaches, fatigue, memory and behavioural problems and possibly cancer in the long term. Scientific evidence is inconclusive, but some researchers think that children are vulnerable because of their thinner skulls and developing nervous systems.”

Are they serious? I’ve never seen any studies showing this can happen. I know there is still some question about whether cell phones can cause problems, but those are held up to your head. Millions of people around the world have wireless networks in their homes, and millions more have cordless phones that operate on similar frequencies. Gaming systems have wireless controllers, portable gaming systems have wireless links. Some of the symptoms described make it sound more like these schools are built on top of former nuclear dumping grounds rather than just having some wireless access points distributed around the halls.

As spotted on Handango is iSS Mine Sweeper, your standard Minesweeper clone featuring auto-save, sound effects, and skins. …