May
07

Windows Mobile 6.5 Designers Theme integrated in my HTCs

There’s no denying that Windows 6.5 will bring with it plenty of functionality improvements, but we’d be lying if we said the new themes and general sprucing up of the whole OS visually weren’t another draw.
Screenshots of the new WM6.5 themes - the handiwork of designers including Diane von Fürstenberg and Vera Wang have emerged, and they look a whole lot better than Windows Mobile 6.1 ever did.

They all come with my WM 6.5 HTC devices being sold on Ebay

windows mobile 6 5 themes 1 480x386

More theme screenshots after the cut

The full roster of designers is Ron Arad, Vera Wang, Rock and Republic and Diane von Fürstenberg, together with Isaac Misrahi whose pink & white gingham theme we saw last month. While the current iteration of the Microsoft smartphone OS is capable, it’s never been exactly the most attractive competitor to the iPhone, BlackBerry or other mobile OSes; these themes go a long way to clawing back some of the gap.

May
06

HTC Shift Review

  • BY: Tiffany Boggs,
  • TabletPCReview.com Editor
  • PUBLISHED: 4/16/2008

After spending a week with the HTC Shift we really got a chance to see what it can do. This tiny tablet is quite the power house. I had no problems surfing the Internet with it or navigating through applications. It sports a Intel A110 800MHz processor and has a 40GB hard drive. The touchscreen was practically flawless and I enjoyed using my finger more then the pen. Although, the pen was helpful for more intricate navigating. (view large image)

HTC Shift specifications: (price: $1,499)

  • Intel Processor A110, 800MHz
  • Windows Vista Business OS
  • 1GB DDR2 microDIMM RAM
  • 1.8″ 40GB or 60GB hard drive
  • 7-inch (800 x 400) TFT-LCD display with adjustable touch-sensitive screen
  • Network: HSDPA/UMTS, HSDPA, GSM/GPRS/EDGE available
  • Slide out QWERTY keyboard
  • Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.11b/g
  • 1x USB
  • 1x VGA out
  • 1x 3.5mm stereo out with microphone
  • Card slots: 1.8/3V USIM/SIM card slot, SDIO slot with hotswap functionality
  • Fingerprint sensor and Webcam
  • Battery: 2700 mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery, up to 2 hours
  • Dimensions: 207 mm (L) X 129 mm (W) X 25 mm (D)
  • Weight: 2.4 lbs.

Design and Build

The HTC Shift has a solid design. In fact it is actually kind of heavy. You can tell the chassis is sturdy and that this thing could take a few bumps and bruises from everyday commuting. It is a gunmetal color and the slide out keyboard is black. It hides fingerprints very well. Nothing about the Shift feels cheap. (view large image) Being so small the Shift can travel anywhere with you. It is perfect for checking email or surfing the Web while on-the-go. It comes with a nice leather portfolio to keep the Shift safe and secure. It feels like a little book. Although the Shift feels heavy, it only weighs in at 2.4lbs, which isn’t that much. (view large image) The Shift will have heads turning where ever you take it, those business meetings or the classroom. I mean, it looks like your standard slate tablet until you slide the keyboard out and tilt up the screen. It’s easy to use, but the screen sticks and takes more force then you would expect to pull up. (view large image)

Display

The 7-inch (800 x 400) touchscreen display is nice. It is very responsive and accurate. It is easy to navigate with your finger or pen. I like that is responds so quickly and doesn’t take much force to open applications. You don’t have to hit the icon two or three times. The SnapVUE screen is a convenient feature and can be switched back an forth from it and Vista (the Internet) with a push of a button. It displays the weather, email and calendar features thanks to Microsoft’s Direct Push technology. (view large image)

The colors are bright and vivid and the viewing angles are fine. Even in slate mode the Shift is easy to read. The screen doesn’t give off much of a glare. As I mentioned before the touch-sensitive screen is very accurate and fun to use. It’s nice to have a screen that is so bright and easy to read, especially from such a small form factor.

Performance and Benchmarks

The Shift isn’t meant to be some high performance gaming machine. It is meant to be that portable device great for email and office work on-the-go. It is a companion to your other notebooks. The processor didn’t really show any signs of lag and to my surprise the Shift didn’t get hot, not even warm, when running benchmarks and surfing the Web. Most form factors like this don’t disperse heat well, but the Shift does. Comparison Results for PCMark05 PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole.

Notebook PCMark05 Score
HTC Shift (Intel A110 800MHz, Intel 950 GMA graphics) 891 PCMarks
Motion Computing F5 (Intel Core Solo 1.2GHz, Intel 945GMS chipset) 1,557 PCMarks
Fujitsu LifeBook P1620 (Intel Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz ULV, Intel 945GMS chipset) 2,113 PCMarks
Asus R1E (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, GMA 965 chipset) 4,679 PCMarks
Gateway C-140x (Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, ATI X2300 HD graphics) 4,342 PCMarks
Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 4,171 PCMarks
HP tx2000 (AMD Turion 64 X2 2.3GHz, Nvidia Go 6150 graphics) 3,738 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 3,473 PCMarks
Toshiba Portege M700 (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz, GMA 965 chipset) 3,399 PCMarks
HP tx1000 (AMD Turion X2 2.0GHz, Nvidia Go 6150) 3,052 PCMarks
Asus R1F (1.66GHz Core Duo, Intel GMA 950 graphics) 2,724 PCMarks
LG C1 (Intel Core Duo 1.2GHz, Nvidia Go 7300) 2,568 PCMarks
HP Compaq 2710p (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.2GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 2,453 PCMarks
Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.2GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 2,334 PCMarks
Gateway E-155C (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.06GHz, Intel GMA 950 graphics) 2,205 PCMarks
Toshiba R400 (Intel Core Duo ULV 1.2GHz, Intel GMA 950 graphics) 2,187 PCMarks

Super Pi In the below results of Super Pi, where the processor is timed in calculating Pi to 2 million digits:

Notebook Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits
HTC Shift (800MHz Intel A110) 5m 9s
Electrovaya SC4000 (1.06GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 59s
Dell Latitude XT (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 47s
Fujitsu LifeBook P1620 (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 49s
Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (2.2GHz Core 2 Duo) 54s
Gateway C-140x (2GHz Core 2 Duo) 58s
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (1.6GHz Core 2 Duo) 1m 10s
Asus R1F (1.66GHz Core Duo) 1m 20s
Lenovo ThinkPad X60t (1.66GHz LV Core Duo) 1m 24s
HP tx2000 (2.3GHz AMD Turion 64 X2) 1m 33s
HP Compaq 2710p (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 39s
Fujitsu T2010 (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 40s
LG C1 (1.2GHz Intel Core Duo) 1m 49s
Gateway E-155C (1.06GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 58s
IBM ThinkPad X41t (1.5GHz LV Pentium M) 2m 02s
Toshiba R400 (1.2GHz ULV Core Duo) 2m 10s
Dell Latitude D420 (1.06GHz Core Solo ULV) 2m 11s
Fujitsu LifeBook U810 (800MHz Intel A110) 6m 22s

HDTune Results Keyboard/Pen The keyboard is small and hard to type on, but you get used to it after using it a few times. It is similar to the Eee PC, so if you like to do the “peck style” typing you would have no problems. You definitely can’t type on the Shift like a standard keyboard, but it is solid and doesn’t show signs of flex. (view large image) The pen is small and silver and reminds me of a stylus for a PDA. It works just fine and is perfect for jotting down notes or opening and closing windows. It is what I expected from such a small device. HTC even includes a spare pen incase the original gets lost, a nice little bonus for users. Ports The Shift doesn’t come packed full of features, but does have one USB port, one VGA-out, a microphone/headphone port, and SDIO slot with hotswap functionality. It also comes with a nice USB hub giving you three more USB ports. The packaging is very nice, but I don’t think that makes up for the steep price tag. Front side. (view large image) Left side. (view large image) Right side. (view large image) Back side. (view large image)

Heat and Noise The Shift never got hot. I was surprised because all the other small UMPC/subnotebook devices we reviewed got hot. I never noticed any problems with heat and it was always comfortable to carry around. It didn’t make much noise either. The Shift stayed cool and quiet. You wouldn’t notice this thing running in a library, classroom or office meeting. The Shift makes for a great travel companion like I mentioned before, people will think it is a textbook until it comes out of its shell to be used for emailing and more. Battery Battery life seemed good enough for such a small device, but an optional slice battery would be the perfect option for power users who are away from the office all day. Something for HTC to keep in mind. I was only getting a little over two hours with the Shift in Balanced Power mode. As one of the Editors in my office mentioned the Shift is kind of like a glorified PDA, but you can’t make phone calls on it. (view large image) Wireless The wireless options are great. I was surprised when I got home and the Shift was picking up signals from everywhere including my own Wi-Fi and my neighbors. I had no problems traveling with it either. If you would like to connect a mouse that is simple too, since the Shift has Bluetooth. OS and Software The Shift ran fine with Windows Vista Business, but I know if it had more RAM it would be much better. Maybe even if it came with Windows XP. Vista takes it’s toll on such a low powered small device, even on the battery life. I didn’t notice any bloatware and really didn’t have any problems with it. Conclusion Overall, I am impressed by the Shift’s capabilities. It works hard, while staying cool and quiet. It is the perfect size for traveling and has unique business features like the always on access to important information with HTC SnapVUE. This screen gives you instant access to your emails with Microsoft Direct Push technology, access to local weather, calendar and your contacts. The speakers sound decent, remember this is a small tablet. The benchmarks were better then I expected and as I figured it had similar Super Pi score as Fujitsu’s U810.

Pros

  • Solid design
  • Beautiful, bright touchscreen
  • Leather portfolio protects the Shift
  • Runs cool and quiet
  • SnapVue Screen

Cons

  • Screen sticks sometimes when sliding and tilting it up
  • A little expensive
  • Battery life is average

Pricing and Availability For more information on the Shift check out HTC’s website. It is available now for $1,499.

Apr
17

Introductions to Windows Mobile 6.5: Products Brief

Before Windows Mobile 7 begins shipping on new handheld devices in mid-to-late 2010, Microsoft will release a second revision of Windows Mobile 6: Windows Mobile 6.5.  It features significant changes over WM6.0 and 6.1 with greater emphasis on touch control, Cloud-based service integration and general UI attractiveness.  However, at its core, Windows Mobile 6.5 is an evolution of the operating system rather than the totally revamped version that competitors like the iPhone, Android and Palm’s webOS warrant.

In this Pocket PC Central Product Brief, we’ll explore some of the features of Windows Mobile 6.5, timetables for its release and what you might expect from future WM6.5-powered handhelds.

Most of this brief is dedicated to the touchscreen version of the OS, however we’re told the styling and “workings” of both the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions of WM6.5 have merged and operate the same.  More on this later.

The Today / Home Screen

Windows Mobile 6.5 features significant updates to the Today (or Home) Screen, the screen you see when you power on a WinMo handheld. An up-down, left-right Zune inspired slider interface has replaced the dated lined system status sections from previous versions, allowing the user to move up and down to make selections and left or right to scroll through selection-based options.

The general look of the Today Screen has also been refreshed, with a focus on wallpaper and theme; as you can see, the toolbars are now transparent, which allows the wallpaper to show through.

The Today Screen still provides quick access to email, calendar, voice mail, text messages, and more.  Presumably, it will also continue to support plug-ins and widgets from third party software to displays program-specific information.

Like most of the updates to Windows Mobile 6.5, the new Today Screen has a finger-friendly design with large active-touch areas which make finger selections easier and more natural.  As you will see, this focus on touch navigation largely defines WM6.5.

The Program Start Menu

Along with an updated Today Screen, Windows Mobile 6.5 has a new Program menu which replaces the traditional drop-down Start Menu, organizing program icons on a full screen.  These icons were once housed in hexagon-shaped containers (seen left) which could be moved around the screen based on the user’s preference.  It is now likely that the lines of the honeycomb will be removed before the final release, but the icon layout will remain.

As you can see from the screenshot, this new design allows programs to be selected with a finger more easily than was the case in earlier and current versions of Windows Mobile. Scrolling is now accomplished with a finger slide up or down the touchscreen.

Also, the programs Start Menu is now an extension of the Today Screen with the selected wallpaper still visible in the background.

A New IE Mobile

Windows Mobile 6.5 includes an updated (and seriously long overdue) Internet Explorer Mobile.  IE Mobile 6 provides a more desktop-like mobile browsing experience and should handle most web sites fairly well.

The look of IE Mobile 6 has been completely changed. Pages are rendered with fingertip-sized control buttons below, an address bar above and a zoom slider which allows you to zoom in and out of web pages for a better view of images or text.  All of these elements can be hidden for full screen viewing.

The new IE Mobile also supports Flash and Ajax, though to what extent is not yet clear.  It should also be noted that IE Mobile 6 uses the same rendering engine as the desktop version of IE6, which is now three years old.  While a huge improvement over the current version of IE Mobile, it’s not quite the improvement many had hoped for.

My Phone Over-the-Air Syncing

One of the most exciting features of Windows Mobile 6.5 is its new over-the-air syncing service called My Phone.  Microsoft’s My Phone allows Windows Mobile to sync contacts, calendar entries, tasks, text messages, videos, photos, music, documents and more with the Cloud, so that the data is available online and so it’s backed up in case you replace your Windows Phone.  My Phone will be a free service for Windows Mobile 6.5 users.

Microsoft will provide users with 200MB of storage free of charge with My Phone.  The company also plans to offer additional storage (and perhaps features) for a fee.  Details on these options will be released later this year.

Windows Mobile Marketplace

The new Windows Mobile Marketplace works much like the iPhone’s App Store.  It will provide users the option to browse, purchase and download Windows Mobile software without the need to connect to a PC.  This is already possible through .CAB file installations, but the Marketplace will provide a single location for software developers to offer their applications.

Users will still be able to download and install software with a PC.  The Windows Mobile Marketplace is not expected to work with previous versions of Windows Mobile.

Videos, Music, Photos & Documents

The media player has been updated in Windows Mobile 6.5, as has the bundled photo software.  However, at this time, we don’t have many details as to what those updates are. We do know that these multimedia sections of the OS have been revamped with touch-friendly controls.  We’ll keep you updated as new details become available.

Hardware

Microsoft isn’t yet saying what specific hardware Windows Mobile 6.5 requires in order to run, but we do know that all WM6.5 handsets will be required to have a Windows-logo hardware button which takes users directly to the new honeycomb Start Menu.  For this reason, all pre-2009 Windows Mobile hardware will not be compatible.

HTC has announced two handsets, the HTC Touch Diamond2 and the HTC Touch Pro2.  While these smartphones will not likely ship with WM6.5 at launch, they do meet the requirements for the new OS and upgrades will be released after Windows Mobile 6.5 ships.

Touch & Non-Touch Versions

Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 feature Professional and Classic editions - which run on hardware with touchscreens - and Standard Edition for non-touchscreen hardware.  These two versions are quite different in interface and appearance, and aren’t even compatible with the same third-party software.

It appears as though this is changing somewhat with WM6.5.  There hasn’t been much detail on this point from Microsoft, but some sources are reporting that the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions of Windows Mobile 6.5 will look largely the same, the primary difference being the way the user interacts with the OS.

Clarification on this point should come in the next few weeks.

Release Schedule

All we know so far is that Windows Mobile 6.5 is scheduled to begin shipping on new handhelds in the second half of 2009; so much for specificity.  Over the coming months, more information will be made available, both by Microsoft and its hardware partners. As soon as release information is formalized, we’ll post it here, along with links to new devices running WM6.5 and any upgrades which are released for Windows Mobile 6.1 handhelds which are compatible with the new OS.

Additional Thoughts

There’s no way around the fact that Windows Mobile 6.5 is a stopgap measure.  We’re led to believe that big change is coming in Windows Mobile 7, but since that operating system isn’t due until sometime well into 2010, WM6.5 is designed to lessen the technical divide between Windows Mobile and newer mobile OS competitors from Apple, Google and Palm.

It’s difficult to understand why Microsoft can’t move more forcefully to secure its mobile presence.  We’re fans of Windows Mobile here, but we’re also not blind.  Without significant improvements to the way Windows Mobile looks, acts, interacts and syncs with the Cloud, Microsoft will continue to loose market share to its flashy new competitors.

This page will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.  Check back here or at our News Center for continuing coverage of Windows Mobile 6.5.

Apr
17

How to get 8% off at eBay through MSFT cashback program

User pkchenover from fatwallet.com forum has some detailed instructions:

READ BEFORE YOU ASK A QUESTION!!!

At this point, just about any questions you might have has been asked several times. If you don’t want to incur the wrath of many short-tempered FWers, read this Quick Summary first. That should answer most questions. If your question is still not answered, SEARCH for your question/answer using the search function up near the top (right under the topic title).

UPDATE:
NOW 30% (10/1 @ 6:55AM EDT) - 6 transactions per >>>Step by Step with Screenshots<<<

******** QUICK OVERVIEW ******* (thanks Troop)

1. Go to eBay.com and find an item you want to buy (it MUST have a Buy it now option with paypal)
2. You can get up to $200 per completed item/auction. Pick something $800 to get maximum CashBack
3. Add that item to your watch list.
4. go to live search type in gold coin or try the following links until you see a CashBack link in the gray ‘Sponsored Sites’ section (refresh a few times if you don’t see it)
gold coin
5. click on the 30% banner (Live Search CashBack)
6. Now you are in eBay go to my eBay and look at items on your watchlist
7. Click on that item
8. Click on ‘Buy it now’.
9. Before ‘Committing to Buy’, be sure the CashBack details are shown on the screen with the proper 20% of the item(s) value
9. check out and pay with Paypal and the CashBack will be yours!

Note: If you do not receive a Cash Back message in your eBay Inbox in a few days, contact eBay through chat support. They will manually send the message to you.

****************

Go here: Clicky

Enter a high ticket item in the search such as: PS3, Xbox 360, gold coin etc.

You need to click on the Search link.
Check this picture

When you hit the 20% off jackpot click the link.

If you can’t think of anything to buy and just want to make some quick cash, buy whatever currency is available for around $1000. Some sellers are offering modern currency for around $1000. This is a great way to make a quick purchase for a quick profit! Earn 25% back on $1000, and immediately deposit the cash you bought into the bank! ***THINK TWICE ABOUT THIS ONE. Many buyers have found themselves receiving calls from PayPal about these “modern currency” deals, and many sellers have had the listing removed and been booted from eBay. This is considered money laundering according to eBay rules and may result in no Cash Back AND punitive measures.***

Read the terms:

http://search.live.com/cashback/howToUse

.
http://pages.ebay.com/cashbackoffer/terms.html

In the event of a conflict between these additional terms and the Program Terms, the terms below are controlling for your participation in the Program on www.eBay.com.

eBay may permit you to combine CashBack Rewards with other eBay promotions, coupons, or gift certificates (each, an eBay Promotion)and may permit you to receive CashBack Rewards on purchases of gift cards or gift certificates. If eBay elects to do so, you will be provided with an opportunity to combine Cash Back Rewards with the eBay Promotion during the checkout flow on www.eBay.com. With the exception of eBay Promotions as described herein, CashBack Rewards cannot be combined with any other offer on purchases on www.eBay.com.

http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=tou&mkt=en-us

You will not earn Cash Back awards on purchases where (a) you open the store’s web site in a different web browser; (b) your browser is not configured to accept cookies; (c) the purchase is not completed in the same web browsing session (not to exceed 24 hours) initiated by clicking on the eligible advertisement or listing; (d) the order is later cancelled or the goods or services are later returned; (e) the store does not report the purchase to Microsoft; (f) the goods or services are acquired for resale or other business purposes; or (g) you also use a separate discount or coupon. Live Search CashBack awards are not available on purchases of gift cards or gift certificates (disputable: there no exclusion in ToS. Also I did see CashBack on checkout screen for a $250 gift card) or on purchases you make from yourself or entities that you control.

Profit

Q: A purchase isn’t showing up in my account. What should I do?
A: Most purchases appear as pending within a day or two, but occasionally a store may take longer to tell us about your purchase. If you made a purchase more than 7 days ago that isn’t displayed in your CashBack account, contact us with your purchase details. We’ll get back to you just as soon as we can.

it appears $200 max per session is in effect (edited to reflect new T&C)
Speaking solely from my own experience. My first 2 transactions’ rebate amount was around $240. My 3rd transaction’s rebate amount was around $100, but during the final checkout via paypal, I got an error message saying “request cannot be processed at this time” but the paypal still deducted the amount regardless and I never received the CashBack message from eBay stating my Cash Back unlike my first 2 transactions. So be careful not to exceed $250 total rebate amount.
——————————————
Get CashBack not connecting to live.com

If you’re a TWC/RR customer and you’re unable to access the Get Cash Back button in My Message to create your account, do this:

1) Goto http://ww23.rr.com/prefs.php (or whatever redirection service is for your area). You can also find this out by typing tracert cashbackaccount.search.live.com on a cmd box and use the IP addresss of the last server hit.
2) Select disable redirection (this is the first option - web address redirection service).
——————————————


FAQ

1) How long does it take for the CashBack to show up as pending?
It takes 24-48 after you complete the transection for the Cash Back show up in account.

2) How does the CashBack link to your live.com account?
When you open live.com account its linked to your eBay and paypal via eBay.

3) Can I search for something say “Wii” and buy something else on eBay and still get CashBack.
Yes (unless MSFT/eBay change the rules).

4) How do I know if I am eligible for the 10% off coupon?
If eBay sent you an email to your registered eBay email address or if you can see the 10% off coupon on the eBay homepage, then you are eligible.

5) How do I “cash out” my available CashBack balance?
60 days after purchase, you can withdraw CashBack funds ONLY through paypal. ( No Check / Bank account option ) It will take an additional 7 days for the CashBack to appear in your paypal account.

6) Does it work for Auction items?
No, this only works for But it Now (BIN) items and only when you pay with Paypal. Third party checkouts do not qualify for CashBack.

7) Does your Microsoft CashBack email (live.com login) have to be the same as your eBay account?
No, it can be anything (preferably your paypal email).

8) Can I have more than 1 eBay account? Can I use the same paypal account for all my eBay accounts?
Yes. Yes.

9) What is the limit for CashBack?
It is $200 per transaction and a max. of 6 transactions per eBay account. (updated to reflect new T&C)

10) Can I buy multiple quantities of something (for ex. 3 Wii for $1000) in the same auction and get CashBack?
Yes. The max. per transaction is $200.

11) Are eBay Motors purchases eligible for CashBack?
This is a gray area. Many fw members are reporting they are not seeing pending CashBack in their live accounts. The eBay T&C’s do not, however, explicitly exclude eBay motors from the offer.

A FEW UPDATES:
1) Users are reporting problems with registration and invalid security certificates with Firefox. Run Microsoft web code on a Microsoft browser for best results.

2) Many users are reporting missing CashBack entries in their CashBack account, even though they believe to have followed the rules & procedures exactly. YMMV.

3) Some users are reporting difficulty in getting response and resolution to issues through LIVE.com support. YMMV

4) Some users are reporting that Live.com/eBay/Paypal are “evolving” their interpretation of the terms & conditions, particularly for currency and bullion.

5) Once you link an eBay account with a live account by clicking the eBay message from your first CashBack purchase, you cannot change it. Every following CashBack purchases from that eBay account will go to the live account you have first linked it to. You do not have to click the CashBack button in the eBay message for the #2~#6 transactions.