All Entries Tagged With: "Cool Tool"

Celio REDFLY on Sale for $199

I reviewed the REDFLY from Celio Corporation a few months ago, and while I really like the device, the price was a bit high for most folks. Apparently they heard the call for lower prices. Until Oct 31, you can get a REDFLY for only $199.  That’s a great deal for this device. They’ve been adding to the list of supported smartphones and a large number of Windows Mobile phones are now supported. Still no iPhone support, though, so I’m out of luck, but they do support the HP 910 that I reviewed a couple of months ago. 

At this price, the REDFLY slides in under the pricing for netbooks, which is a strategic necessity I think. Given that the device doesn’t include any of the stand-alone processing power of a netbook, I think the general expectation is that it ought to cost less. Let’s see how this promotion at $199 effects sales.

Will you buy a REDFLY for $199?

WMWiFiRouter For Your Windows Mobile Device

The WM WiFi Router program might be great tool for those times where you need to share a connection from your phone.  Say you and a friend are sitting in the airport with a delayed flight, both of you want to get on the Internet, but only have one phone with 3G.  Launch up WM WiFi Router and there is an access point!  Both of you can share that 3G connection via a Wireless or Bluetooth connection!  Pretty cool for only 30 bucks.  Click the Read More for the full press release.

Morose Media Announces Availability of WMWifiRouter 1.20,

Creating Wi-Fi Hotspots from Mobile Phones

New Windows Mobile application connects Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Internet, allowing for a shared connection across multiple devices with a one-time only fee

(The Netherlands – September 11, 2008) – Morose Media, a leading software and Internet development company, announces the availability of WMWifiRouter 1.20 - the new Windows Mobile application that instantly turns Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones into wireless Internet sharing connection hubs. Compatible with both PC and Mac, the WMWifiRouter 1.20 introduces a convenient option for wireless Internet access and sharing via Wi-Fi, USB or Bluetooth.

The 1.20 application, downloadable from www.WMWifiRouter.com, allows users to create instant Internet access for any Wi-Fi-enabled device that can also be shared with others in the vicinity. Unlike similar services available, WMWifiRouter only requires a one-time fee for a lifetime of service, with no additional monthly or annual charges, and is available for use instantly upon purchase. With 15.6 percent of US mobile subscribers now regularly using the Internet on their mobile device*, there is a large demand now, more than ever, for connection options.

The user-friendly WMWifiRouter application makes it possible for PC, Apple and ASUS EeePC users to connect on-the-go. Compatible with phones that features Windows Mobile 5 AKU 3.3 or newer, or Windows Mobile 6, it provides secured network access to the Internet on any Wi-Fi device allowing users to e-mail, instant message or surf the Web as usual. For consumers, this means a complete solution for business or leisure activities on the move, data sharing with friends at home or away with colleagues, and no monthly charges or fees that are generally associated with mobile wireless cards purchased through cellular service providers.

“The Internet capability on some smartphones is dicey at best and we are confident that we’ve created a better solution with WMWifiRouter,” says Werner van Alphen, CEO of Morose Media. “Our product provides people with easy Internet access on their laptops, MP3 devices and more, no matter where they are. Need to update your blog while you’re on a family road trip? How about send a last minute document to a demanding client? If you have a signal on your phone and WMWifiRouter, you’re good to go.”

In addition to Wi-Fi, users can also share cellular data and an Internet connection over Bluetooth and via USB, using less battery power from the phone than a Wi-Fi connection. To further save power, WMWifiRouter users can enter low-power mode without disturbing their connection simply by pressing the power button. Should the phone battery reach a specified level of depletion, the application will automatically shut down so that users have enough power remaining for calls.

WMWifiRouter also supports multiple devices at once and will reconnect automatically upon a connection loss. Phones on most networks can use WMWifiRouter to connect to the Internet while maintaining normal phone functionality. If the network does not support this connection, the WMWifiRouter Internet connection will pause while the call is made. Symbian Smartphone users can also enjoy this Wi-Fi hotspot freedom through Morose Media’s partner, more information can be found on www.WMWifiRouter.com.

Other compatibility requirements include a Wi-Fi and cellular data connection, an installed and working version of Internet Sharing and at least 15 MB of device memory. WMWifiRouter licenses are available now at www.WMWifiRouter.com for a one-time fee $29.99, with special corporate pricing available. Users are encouraged to take advantage of the 21-day free trial before purchase.

Google Chrome Available For Download

Just a quick update to let you know that the new Google Browser is available for download already.  Looks VERY interesting!!  I am installing right now, let’s see how it performs and it it lives up to the Hype.

Sugarsync On The iPhone

I can’t wait to try this one out later this evening.  Sugarsync has been a great tool for me to keep my new Dell laptop and the LS800 in sync with each other.  Now - I can get the files on my iPhone.  While everything won’t be viewable because of iPhone limitations, it’s nice to know that I can pull up the occasional Word document if I need to in a pinch!

GBM Shortcut: The Pogo Stylus

When I first heard about the Pogo Stylus, a stylus designed specifically for the iPhone/iTouch, I thought it was a joke.  After spending some quality time with it, I can tell you it’s no joke.  The Pogo Stylus is a handy and functional tool that can be purchased at TenOneDesign.com for $24.95.  Check out this GBM Shortcut to learn a little more about the Pogo Stylus.

With all the rumors of a possible Apple tablet, the Pogo Stylus might also find life inking on MacBooks.

Skooba Design Releases Photos of TSA-Approved Laptop Bag

Have you ever been stuck behind someone in an airport who forgot to take their laptop out of its case at a security checkpoint? Yeah, that person. Or were you ever that person? The TSA has recently approved a new bag design that eases security screening burdens for those traveling with computers and other electronics. Targus and Pathfinder were expected to adopt this new design but a quick search on their respective websites yielded nothing new. Earlier this morning, Engadget released a story on the arrival of Skooba Design’s TSA-approved laptop bag but later updated the story, stating that Skooba Design’s CEO still has not released the final product pictures and what they had on their site was just an illustration. Fast forward 4 hours and Gear Diary’s Judie Lipsett has photos to go along with a rundown on the new bag’s design and features. I can’t wait to get these bags. I’m so tired of being that guy.

Can We Have a Touch Friendly Vista Interface?

Sure you can - and you can make it yourself!!

Over on The How To Geek there is a post about the guy that brought us Vista Thumbmail Resizer who is now working on a way to create your own Vista Theme.  From the looks of the shots, there will be the ability to add your own images, resize certain elements and many other changes.  It’s not going to be free, but it sure might change some things for the Touch users out there trying to peck everything with their fingernail (Been there?? I sure have).  Check out Vista Style Builder and keep an eye on the site for availability.

8Start Launcher To Help Save Some Clicks

Want to get rid of your Start menu to save some screen real estate?  Or have quicker access to your menus to save a few clicks?  Forum member siauw put up a link over in the forums to a program called 8start Launcher.  I installed it and it looks really good - very customizable too!

Looks to be a good way to save digging thru the Start menu with the pen - or better yet, put in some Icons and it appears that it might be very touch friendly too!!  (Touch untested)

Check out the thread for other XP taskbar tweaks!

Vista Boot Tip - Make it faster??

I haven’t seen this tip before just now.  Lifehacker has posted a tip on how to use multiple cores during the boot process of Windows Vista.  Kind of cool if it works.  Mine was on the defaulte set at 1 and I have changed it to 2. I can’t reboot right now, but it’s ready for the next time I can shut down.  Give it a shot and comment below if you notice a difference during your next boot.  This could potentially be a great tip for some of the slower Dual Core Tablet PC’s out there - but on the other hand - if you’re on battery, I wonder how much the extra CPU cycles during boot will drain the battery.

Search Flickr By Sketching with retrievr

This is a really cool tool called Retrievr sent in by GBM reader Chris C. it searches Flickr by sketching in a box on the sidebar.  I’ve been playing with it since last night and I personally think it’s amazing.  I find it works best when drawing simple shapes and lines, and wow does it work great!!

Below is an example of the tool in action - Look at how it picks out the same type of photos as what I had drawn in the box.  Make sure you have some time before you follow the link - it’s addictive!!

iPassConnect Finally Supports Vista

As a corporate user valiantly trying to upgrade to Vista, one last hold-out was my iPassConnect account. With the new iPassConnect version 3.60, iPass has finally launched the long-awaited support for Vista. iPass allows seamless connection to a myriad of WiFi hotspots, including all T-Mobile, so I can browse at any Starbucks I want. (Maybe I can go on a Coffee Break with jkOnTheRun) I’ve used iPass to connect in hotels, coffee shops, and many other places without being charged - just pay the iPass bills and get access at thousands of hotspots around the world. Although regular users can get iPass accounts, it’s mostly aimed at corporate users whose companies pay the bills.

And now, only a year after Vista launched, iPassConnect supports Vista. Now, if we can only get them to support Windows Mobile 6 as well…

Kingston Releases New USB Flash Drive/Reader

I have had many times when traveling when I have had no WiFi access on my computer, but I have had a desperate need to open/read/edit an office document. My Cingular (AT&T) 8525 retrieves my email quite well, but doesn’t always read those docs in the best way. My “solution”? I save the file to my micro-SD and then use an SD card adapter and reader to access the file on my computer.

Now Kingston Technology has a solution for everyone else so that they can do the same thing. The new Kingston DataTraveler Micro Reader is a ReadyBoost enhanced USB flash drive with up to 4GB capacity, but it also includes an expansion slot to read microSD, microSDHC, or Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) cards.

With this device, you can have a nice ReadyBoost USB device that will also allow you to transfer files quickly and easily from your phone, camera, or other device with micro SD. Great option for the gear bag!

The 1GB version should ship this month, followed by 2GB and 4GB models. Price points are quite reasonable with an MSRP of $19.25 for the 1GB up to $42 for the 4GB. The full information on this new device isn’t up on the Kingston site yet, but you can read the press release here. The previous generation, the DataTraveler Reader, looks pretty similar but it’s slightly larger and doesn’t support ReadyBoost.

Miss Those Buttons On Your Pen?

One of the things people struggle with when moving to a pen-based system is the lack of buttons on the pen for Ctrl, Alt, etc. Well, Ken Hinckley has come up with an interesting, and quite amusing, solution, something he calls the IntelliScroller. The more I think about it, he might be on to something, here.

Better get those Post-It notes ready…..

Yahoo! Awards CES "Last Gadget Standing"

Every year, Yahoo! hold a survey that includes the Yahoo! readership on the best gadgets of the year. This year’s award winner at CES was Eye-Fi, which Warner covered on GottaBeMobile before. The Eye-Fi Wireless SD Card allows you to transfer your digital photos directly from your camera over a wireless network, to either your computer or the on-line service of your choice.

Other contenders should also be pretty familiar to the GBM readership:

• ASUS Eee PC 4G
• Fujitsu’s U810 WWAN is an ultra-mobile PC with state-of-the-art connectivity.
• Verizon LG Voyager cell phone
• Dash Express is an Internet-connected GPS device that gives real-time traffic conditions based on data transmitted from other Dash users. Users can also receive up-to-the minute notifications via Yahoo! Local about everything from movies to gas prices.
• Sansa TakeTV offers a simple and less expensive way to move downloaded TV programs around the house. Using a cradle with standard RCA and S-Video plugs, your TV media is stored on the USB memory stick.
• iRobot’s iLooj is a robotic gutter cleaner that will clean a stretch of gutter (60 feet) in ten minutes.
• Toshiba’s TDP-EW25U wireless DLP projector can produce an image that casts 41 feet or 1.6 feet, create a 60-inch picture even when it’s positioned 2.4 feet away, and accommodates high-definition video.
• The Logitech DiNovo is a wireless keyboard that fits in the palm of a hand and makes it simple to navigate media when a user connects a PC to a TV screen.
• Electric-Spin’s Golf Launchpad Tour is a unique golf simulation input device that allows users to play golf in the convenience of their home, with their own clubs. 

You can read about the Last Gadget Standing competition on Yahoo!.

Comfort Software On-screen Keyboard

If you are looking for a new on-screen keyboard, then check out this new offering from Comfort Software. The Comfort On-Screen Keyboard is multi-language and supports multiple keyboard templates, so just about any need can be met. Several of the templates are standard keyboard layouts, but they also have some customized for UMPC use. Check out the corner version below. From their website:

• Displaying the icons of shortcuts in Windows® and popular applications.
• Displaying characters actually typed in any language, which allows you to type text without a localized keyboard.
• Customizing the keyboard appearance (the position, size and number of keys, the color and the skin) with the possibility to select it from a large number of available templates (without having to buy a new keyboard )
• Color areas for fingers (if necessary) in case you learn to touch type. It is convenient because when you press a key, you can see it pressed on the on-screen keyboard!

Now, myself, I’d really like this combined with a capacitive touch screen, particularly if it had the tactile feedback like Apple patented a while back. Then I would have the best of both worlds - a slim, slate style Tablet PC and a good typing experience. Now that would get my vote for a WOW device.

via jkOnTheRun