In this article I will share my thoughts, experiences about the Mugen Power 1800 mAh for the HTC 7 Trophy in a comprehensive review.

The HTC 7 Trophy is a phone with a very pleasant formfactor that is powered by Windows Phone 7 (the latest mobile operating system from Microsoft). Mark Briggeman, has written an excellent HTC 7 Trophy review that elaborates on all the pros and cons of this device.

A personal issue that I experienced is that because of the intensive use of applications, that are connected to services and the basic configuration modes for the screen brigtness made it sometimes hard to make it through a full day with the default 1300 mAh battery for the HTC 7 Trophy. This resulted in my search for an extended battery.

You might remember the review of the 2300 mAh battery for the HTC HD2, that I reviewed a little while ago. However this time I didn’t want to add extra volume to the device.  The high quality and powerfull batteries of Mugen Power helped me in the past, when I had a HP iPAQ hw6915. I noticed the 1800 mAh battery for the HTC 7 Trophy, which  provides 500 mAh extra compared to the stock battery (but it has the same dimensions of the stock battery).

In the picture above you can see an angeled view of the 1300 mAh stock battery (bottom in yellow) and the Mugen Power 1800 mAh battery. As you can see the height and the connectors are exactly the same (no big surprise ofcourse). In the picture below you can see the a side-view of both the batteries, where again you will notice the same dimensions of the 1300 mAh stock battery and the 1800 mAh Mugen Power battery.

Practical usage tests of the Mugen Power 1800 mAh Battery for HTC 7 Trophy

The huge advantage of the 1800 mAh extended battery of the HTC 7 Trophy is that I can make it easy through the complete business day (even if the day ends at midnight ). When you are “on the go” and highly dependant on the use of your smartphone,  you will be happy to carry enough power.

In the good old Windows Mobile days I would use an application like Wizzcode Pocket Battery Analyzer, that would draw some insightful curves how the battery would drain under different scenarios. However such an application is not avialble for Windows Phone 7.

1. E-mail:  Heavy use of e-mail, with 6 different accounts configured. (2 Microsoft Exchange accounts with pushmail ON and other 4 accounts downloading e-mail in intervals of 15 minutes.
2. Voice + SMS: Moderate use of voice calls and SMS. On average I will call somewhere between 1 hr – 2 hr. per day;
3. Webbrowsing + Social Media:  Intensive use of Twitter, Facebook and Internet Explorer. Reading content and news on the go.

In this set-up I will make it through the business day, however I should perform some additional timed tests with bluetooth and wifi on/off.

The second advantage is that the Mugen Power 1800 mAh battery for the HTC 7 Trophy has the same dimensions as the default stock 1300 mAh battery. This means you don’t need another backcover the covers the extra volume of the battery (again remark the 2300 mAh battery for the HTC HD2).

Overall conclusions and wrap-up

Overall I would mark the Mugen Power 1800 mAh battery as a must have accessory for the HTC 7 Trophy. You will keep the slim formfactor of the HTC 7 Trophy, because no extra volume is added to the device.

The same backcover also means, you will be able to enjoy the same rubberized finish. This makes it really pleasant to hold the HTC 7 Trophy, compared to the the more slippery backsides of the Samsung Omnia 7 or the LG Optimus 7.

I’m really happy to be able to use the HTC 7 Trophy for a complete business day, without a recharge. I still hope for some massive radical innovation that allows me to use my smartphone a complete week on a single charge.

You can buy the Mugen Power 1800 mAh battery for HTC 7 Trophy on the Mugen Power website for the pricepoint of $44,95. The extra 500 mAh of power in the same compact formfactor make it worthwhile to invest the reasonable pricepoint of $44,95 given the high quality and excellent reputation of Mugen Power.

If adding some extra volume to the HTC 7 Trophy isn’t a huge problem, you certainly need to have a look at the Mugen Power 3600mAh Extended Battery for HTC 7 Trophy !!

In this article I will have a short look at the Waterfield 7 x 10 gear pouch, as a way to organize my messenger bag when I’m commuting back and forth to the office.  I’m using a Lenovo T61p notebook, a perfect workhorse, in combination with the Lenovo 90W Ultraslim AC/DC Combo Power Adapter. It is of course a very slim power adapter, but the different peaces are nicely kept together in a pouch.

Waterfield 7×10 gear Pouch – A closer look !

However I take more accessoiries with me in addition to a power adapter, and this is where the Waterfield 7×10 gear pouch becomes really interesting. It is a very simple gear pouch consisting of one large compartment that can be accessed via one large embedded zipper over the complete width of the 7×10 gear pouch. You can quickly stow accessories into the 7 x 10 and keep your bag organized (without creating a cable spagetti).

The Waterfield 7 x 10 gear pouch is build from heavy duty ballistic nylon, that is used fo bulletproof vests as well. The zipper pull makes is very easy to open and close the Waterfield 7 x 10 pouch. The loop on the left side of the 7 x 10 you can is a similar construction like the Waterfield Sleevecase for HP Mini 1000, where it helps to easily remove the laptop from the Waterfield Sleevecase.

The picture above shows the backside of the Waterfield 7 x 10 Gear Pouch, with on the right side the loop. On the left side you can see a small part of the zipper pull. Furthermore you see a vertical piece of balistic nylon on the left side of the Waterfield 7 x 10. It is called the Go Handle, and gives an easy hold of the 7 x 10 gear pouch, for example when you walk towards the next meeting (having the mouse and power adapter in the 7 x 10).

The picture above shows again the front side of the Waterfield 7 x 10 gear pouch, with an open zipper. You can clearly see here that you have easy access to the single main compartment of the pouch. The inside of the Waterfield 7 x 10 gear pouch seems to have a kind of rubberized finish. However I’m not sure if this results in water resistant characteristics.

Overall conclusion and wrap-up

The Waterfield 7 x 10 gear pouch is available in three different sizes (6 x 9, 7 x 10 and 8 x 11). Based on my personal usage scenario and preferences, the Waterfield customer pre-sales advice helped me to select the right size.

You can expect the similar used materials and high build quality of the Waterfield 7 x 10 Gear Pouch compared to the Waterfield Sleevecase. I noted before that I’m using a Waterfield Sleevecase for the Lenovo X60 tablet for over more than two years now, without any sign of wearing out.

The Waterfield 7 x 10 gear pouch is for me a perect organizer, that is avaialble for a fair pricepoint of $13,- given the used high quality and durable materials. If you need a simple pouch to carry accessories or you are looking for a way to organize your bag content a little more, have a look at the Waterfield website for the 7 x 10 gear pouch.

Vodafone Netherlands offers subscriptions for individual persons as well as subscriptions for business customers. The result is that both have a different access point name for the cellular data connection, which sometimes caused problems with automatic connection setup on Windows Mobile 6.x devices (in the case that the database with connections wasn’t up to date).

Both the LG Optimus 7 and the HTC 7 Trophy I was able to add / edit the cellular data settings manually. Because both were Vodafone branded I was surprised that the connection isn’t setup automatically. The short tutorial below outlines the steps to setup the cellular data connection for your Windows Phone 7 device.

How to change data connection settings like APN in Windows Phone 7

• Start (menu) Button;
• Choose Settings from the program list;
• Make sure the system settings are selected in the panorama (and not the application settings);
• Scroll down to cellular (which is shown in the left screenshot above);
• Click on the edit apn button to hard reset your Windows Phone 7 device;
• Enter the APN settings:  APN, username, password (which is shown in the right screenshot above);
• Confirm by clicking on the left check-icon in the slide-up menu.

What other cellular settings can be configured ?

In the left screenshot above you can see an overview of all the settings to finetune the cellular usage of your Windows Phone 7 device.

1. You can switch on/off the cellular Data Connection with the finger friendly on/off slider (on the right). You simply tap on the slider, and you will see the status (on the left) change from on to off or visa versa.
2. Change the Data Roaming options from a pull down menu. The value don’t roam means your data connection will be turned off, when entering a roaming area. You don’t need an application like MoDaCo NoData anymore, because Windows Phone 7 doesn’t allow non-native applications to run in the background, which means no applications can automatically access the data connection when you are abroad.
3. You can switch on/off the use of a 3G connection when available with the finger friendly on/off slider (on the right);
4. You can configure the network selection. Set the network selection to automatic, or set it manually after a search for available cellular networks.
5. Edit the APN settings, which is described in the step-by-step guide above.

If you would like to get learn more about Windows Phone 7 settings I would like to recommend my 5000 word review with 70 screenshots of the Windows Phone 7 core OS features ! Please have a look at the other how to articles below to get more out of your Windows Phone 7 device.

Previous how to’s for Windows Phone 7

• How to easy find the Mac Address on the LG Optimus 7 and LG Quantum Windows Phone 7
• How to hard reset Windows Phone 7 – In the rare case that you would need to !
• How To Check your Battery Status on the Samsung Focus and Omnia 7
• How to easy find the Mac Address on the Samsung Focus and Omnia 7 Windows Phone 7
• How to do more with Windows Phone 7 Messaging
• How To Share Your Zune Pass Safely with a Family Member on Windows Phone 7 and Zune HD
• How to quickly Search People in Windows Phone 7 Peolpe Hub
• How To Change your Picture Tile Image and Picture Hub background on your Windows Phone 7
• How to access Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 (or Zune HD) from outside the USA
• How to add (Windows Phone Radio) podcast to your Zune HD or Windows Phone 7

SPB Software is a well known heavy weight developer for Windows Phone, that adopted a cross-platform strategy. SPB Software develops excellent high quality applications and games for Windows Phone, Symbian, iPhone / iPad, Google Android, Palm WebOS, BlackBerry and finally the Maemo platform.

Furthermore SPB Software is known for its annual survey that “captures feedback from mobile users and gives an overview of the latest mobile market trends, while helping in identifying changes in user profiles, mobile device expectations and the typical handset use cases“.

SPB Survey 2010 – Your opinion matters !!

Let’s start by having a look at some statistics of last year’s SPB Survey:

• Last year over 11 000 users took part in the SPB survey
• 25 000 000+ of SPB users will benefit from the results of the survey
• 25+ SPB Partners – device manufactures and carriers – are interested in your opinion

With about 11.000 participants I think this is one of the largest surveys in the mobile sector (at least that I’m aware of). You don’t just help SPB Software “improve its multiplatform solutions for end-users and bring added value to its partners worldwide – phone makers and mobile operators“.

Furthermore it is great to take the SPB Survey in your native language.

“The survey is held in 12 languages: English, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Czech and Polish.”

There are still about two weeks to complete the survey and help shaping the mobile market.

“The survey will remain open until December 7th 2010 8:00 PM GMT, with results expected to be publicly available by December 20th 2010 5:00 AM GMT. All winners will be contacted with details on how to claim their prizes before December 20th, 2010.”

This year SPB Software teaned up with two highly respected mobile market analysts, Distimo and MobileSQUARED !

Prizes to win ?

By sharing your opinion an completing the SPB Survey 2010 you will automatically enter the competition to win one of the following prizes below !

The 1st selected participant will be rewarded with a mobile device of his choice (within the limit of 1000 USD) from such major internet retailers as Amazon or eXpansys.

Second selected participant will be rewarded with a 100 USD worth of smartphone accessories of his choice from our partners at Smartphone Experts. Both of them will also receive a 100 USD gift certificates with the free selection of SPB Software products for them and their friends.

The 3rd selected participant will also receive a 100 USD gift certificate with the free selection of SPB Software products.

Not bad to start the holiday season, right ?

>>     You can start the SPB Survey 2010 here !

Reviews of some  SPB Software applications

• SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 review – Facebook & Twitter widgets, 3D viewers, G-sensor support and more
• SPB Mobile Shell v3.0 User Interface Step-By-Step Review
• SPB Radio 1.0 review – Internet radio player for Windows Phones
• SPB News 2.0 RSS Reader for Windows Phones – SPB Insight renamed
• SPB TV 2.0 review – Turn your Windows Phone into a TV
• SPB Wallet 2.0 for iPhone and desktop review
• SPB Flash Cards review – Turn your Windows Phone into a personal language learning assistant
• Spb Puzzle for Symbian S60 & Windows Mobile Professional
• SPB Quads review – Simple but addictive game for Windows Phones
• Spb Geo Game for Windows Mobile reviewed

You might recall the article of Terry Myerson, Corporate Vice President of Windows Phone Engineering, when Windows Phone 7 hit the RTM milestone in which he explained:

“Windows Phone 7 is the most thoroughly tested mobile platform Microsoft has ever released.”

The result is a highly responsive, fast and very stable and robust operating system for smartphones. I haven’t applied a single reset in the past weeks, despite I’m heavily using the LG Optimus 7 / LG E-900 to digg into the various features of Windows Phone 7 and put those to the test.

How to hard reset Windows Phone 7 – In the rare case that you need to perform such a reset

If you run into the rare situation that you need to perform a hard reset to your Windows Phone 7 device, you can apply the following step-by-step guide:

• Start (menu) Button;
• Choose Settings from the program list;
• Make sure the system settings are selected in the panorama (and not the application settings);
• Scroll down to about (which is shown in the left screenshot above);
• Click on the reset your phone button to hard reset your Windows Phone 7 device;

“WARNING!

Resetting your phone will erase all your personal content, including apps that you purchased and downloaded, and will restore the factory settings. Do you want to continue ?”

• Confirm and tap on the yes button.

How to ”soft reset” Windows Phone 7 ?

There is no soft reset function or -button in Windows Phone 7 like long-time Windows Mobile users know from the Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 timeframe. Remark the review of Reboot! – A softreset Windows Phone app from Quantum Concepts.

• Press and hold the power button to switch off your Windows Phone 7 device;
• Press and hold the power button to switch on your Windows Phone 7 device;

The described on/off cycling results in the same soft reset behavior of -for example- Windows Mobile 6.5.3, however Windows Phone 7 is rock solid and stable that you probably won’t need both of the reset methods.

If you would like to get a more extensive overview of the Windows Phone 7 operating system, I would highly recommend my 5000 word review with 70 screenshots of the Windows Phone 7 core OS features ! Please have a look at the other how to articles below to get mor out of your Windows Phone 7 device.

Previous how to’s for Windows Phone 7

• How To Check your Battery Status on the Samsung Focus and Omnia 7
• How to easy find the Mac Address on the Samsung Focus and Omnia 7 Windows Phone 7
• How to do more with Windows Phone 7 Messaging
• How To Share Your Zune Pass Safely with a Family Member on Windows Phone 7 and Zune HD
• How to quickly Search People in Windows Phone 7 Peolpe Hub
• How To Change your Picture Tile Image and Picture Hub background on your Windows Phone 7
• How to access Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 (or Zune HD) from outside the USA
• How to add (Windows Phone Radio) podcast to your Zune HD or Windows Phone 7

INTRODUCTION

I would like to start with a short reminder about the expanded alliance between Microsoft and LG Electronics, about 1.5 year ago:

“LG Electronics (LG) and Microsoft Corp. today announced an expanded alliance to dramatically increase the number of LG phones running Windows. As part of the agreement, LG will make Windows its primary operating system for its smartphones and will increase both the number of Windows® phones in its portfolio and the total volume of Windows® phones it distributes. This will create a tenfold increase in the volume of Windows® phones available from LG in 2009 and bring up to 26 new Windows® phones to market in 2012 alone. Overall, the agreement can result in more than 50 new LG Windows® phones.“

The great thing here is that most new devices will be in the Windows Phone 7 time frame from now onto 2012. Lets see if LG Electronics made a head start with the first Windows Phone 7 device, the LG Optimus 7 or LG E-900 !

In the Netherlands there are three launch partners:

1. HTC with the HTC Trophy;
2. Samsung with the Samsung Omnia 7. Paul Willen has published an excellent Samsung Omnia 7 review of this device yesterday !
3. LG with the LG Optimus 7 / LG E-900.

While it is not in the stores yet, I’m excited to share my thoughts and experiences about this device. I will have a detailed look at the hardware first, and zoom in on the unique software additions from LG. However lets have a look first what is in the LG Optimus 7 retail package.

INTRODUCTION

Microsoft officially announced Windows Phone 7 a little while ago in New York, and since October 21st devices hit the store shelves in Europe. Despite the number 7 in the naming it is a complete new operating system, build from scratch. In other words it is the most radical reboot compared to previous version of the same operating system, I have seen in mobile industry (only Palm did a similar reboot).

This article will review the Windows Phone 7 core features and functions (without the small customizations that carriers or OEM partners are allowed to add). The step-by-step overview will give a good idea of the capabilities of Windows Phone 7 you can minimally expect on every Windows Phone 7 device.

FIRST START AND SETUP WIZARD

When you first start a Windows Phone 7 device, there is a setup wizard that guides you through the process of setting up your phone. The set-up process mainly consists of entering the credentials of your accounts and e-mail settings.

LOCK SCREEN

When you power on Windows Phone 7 you will see the lock screen. On this screen you will see the current time, and if you have set alarms there is a little clock icon behind the time that indicates there are alarms.

The day and date are shown below the time in the same large font type as the time. Furthermore you will see the next upcoming appointment, that becomes really helpful and shows you were to go next. On the bottom of the lock screen you will see a row with indicators how many e-mails, text messages you haven’t read yet or how many phone calls you have missed.

Finally it is nice to mention that you can change the background of the lock screen, in order to personalize your Windows Phone 7 device.

START SCREEN OR START EXPERIENCE

Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President Windows Phone Program Management, demonstrated the start screen for the first time during Mobile World Congress earlier this year. The start screen consists of “blocks that include information” which are called live tiles.

“On the Start screen, dynamically updated “live tiles” show users real-time content directly, breaking the mold of static icons that serve as an intermediate step on the way to an application.”

This is a unique concept that really makes Windows Phone 7 powerful. You get real time information from your contacts and notifications of e-mail, sms messages, marketplace updates of your installed applications.

In the left screenshot above you can see an arrow pointing to the right, which gives you the ability to switch to the program list. I assume that you don’t pin every single application, hub, website or contact to your start screen, so you need jump into the program list to open for example Foursquare for Windows Phone 7. Remark the arrow pointing to the left in the right screenshot with the program list, which gives you the idea of switching between multiple screens (or the panoramic view).

More important is the fact that you can personalize the start screen to your own preferences and needs. If you tab-and-hold on a live tile -in this example the twitter live tile-, it comes to the front (other live tiles are sent backwards), and you can move it to a different position. If you tap on it again it will be dropped on that specific location you have moved it to. You can also delete live tiles with the icon in the upper right corner of the tile (after the tap-and-hold).

It is so versatile that you can pin people, websites, applications, hubs to your start screen so you can make it an individual delightful experience that perfectly fits your own needs (instead of a one size fits all).

When you scroll up and down through the start screen you will see some nice animations when you reach the top or bottom. Just like the management of the live tiles this is a great example of how much efforts are spent on the details in look and feel of the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

]]> http://www.mobilityminded.com/10242/windows-phone-7-review-step-by-step-overview-of-the-mobile-os-core-features/feed 9 http://www.mobilityminded.com/10359/buy-windows-phone-7-apps-outside-of-the-uk-with-a-dutch-creditcard http://www.mobilityminded.com/10359/buy-windows-phone-7-apps-outside-of-the-uk-with-a-dutch-creditcard#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:41 +0000 Remo Knops http://www.mobilityminded.com/?p=10359

Unfortunately the Netherlands isn’t one of the big launching markets for Windows Phone 7, although the HTC Trophy, Samsung Omnia 7 and the LG Optimus 7 will be available in stores from October 21st !

One of the constraints of not being a launching market is the limited availability of Zune Marketplace features. It is possible to get access to the Marketplace outside of the first-launch-markets, so you can download and install free applications. However in the Netherlands you can’t get or use a Zune Pass, nor can you buy paid applications from the Marketplace.

On the Electronistra website you can read a short overview of the Zune availability in Europe:

“Microsoft tonight expanded its Zune Marketplace services beyond the US for the first time in the run-up to Windows Phone 7. Its unlimited Zune Pass music, MP3 downloads, video sales and movie rentals will be available in France, Germany and the UK later this fall. Spain will get all but video sales, while Australia, Canada and New Zealand will get both of the video services but no music. Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands and Switzerland will be limited to movie rentals.”

A (not-always) working step-by-step guide to buy apps for Windows Phone 7 from non-first-launch markets

Tom Verhoeff, Student CS @ TU Delft, Microsoft Student Partner, has written an article in Dutch on his blog about how he bought applications  in the UK Marketplacef or Windows Phone 7.

Maarten Sonneveld, Business Group Lead - Mobile Communications, tweeted about this tutorial with the side-note that it is not officially supported by Microsoft Netherlands.

1. Start with the factory default settings on your Windows Phone 7 device; Go to Settings –> About –> Reset your phone

2. During the first start setup wizard create a new Windows Live ID with the country set to UK (one of the first-launch markets);

3. After you completed the first-start setup wizard go directly to the Marketplace and choose an application that you need to pay for. When you try to purchase it, you will be asked to create a billing account. Choose the UK as the country and enter your date of birth.

4. The next step consists of configuring a payment method. You can use a Dutch creditcard for this, however it is mandatory to enter a correct UK billing address and phone number. The billing address won’t actually be used according to the tutorial.

5. After accepting the creditcard your Windows Phone 7 device is ready for use. It is now possible to fully make use of the Marketplace. This means buying applications and register for a Zune Pass !

Since I had already a USA-based Windows Live ID and a UK-based Windows Live ID I tried to set this up from the Zune software on my Windows PC. However this method didn’t work for both Windows Live ID’s !

Unfortunately with the LG Optimus 7 that I’m using at the moment, there is no APN pre-configured so there is no data connection in order to create the Windows Live ID during the first-start-setup-wizard.

I didn’t give up easily. I completed the first-launch setup wizard, setup the apn of my cellular data connection and went directly into the Marketplace and tried to buy an application. Via this way you can create a Windows Live ID as well, following the steps of Tom Verhoeff’s tutorial above. Unfortunately the creditcard is again not accepted, despite I entered a correct address and phone number in the UK.

Does this how-to guide work for you ?

I have shared my personal experiences so far, and for me this step-by-step guide didn’t work. I compared the creditcards of Tom Verhoeff and myself and we have bankaccounts at different banks. Therefore the creditcard type or the bank might be at the root of the problem (where one bank checks the billing address and the other bank doesn’t), why it works for Tom and not for me.

Let me repeat that this isn’t a method which is officially supported by Microsoft Netherlands, however the fact that it was shared by someone from Microsoft triggerd me to investigate / explore this option buy applications for Windows Phone 7 in the Netherlands. The tutorial didn’t work …

The 1000 applications milestone is already past, so I’m looking forward to the moment that the Netherlands will get full access to the Marketplace somewhere next year. It would have been great if Microsoft could have provided full global access to the Marketplace on the Windows Phone 7 launch-day.

Yseter, October 21st, is the big European launch of Windows Phone 7, where the USA needs to wait for a few weeks. In the Netherlands there are three devices that hit the stores today: (1) HTC Trophy, (2) Samsung Omnia 7 and (3) LG Optimus 7.

Despite the Netherlands are not a -first- launch market, it is possible to access the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace and download or install applications. This how to article will describe how to access Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 from the Netherlands or other non-first-launch countries !

Control panel – Current location

The first important setting to change on your Windows 7 PC is the current location.  You can access this setting in your control panel via:

• Start
• Control panel
• Region and Language
• Location tab
• Change current location

As you can see in the screenshot above I have changed my location to  United States, so I can access the Windows Phone 7 marketplace in the USA !

If you leave this setting the same as your country in a non-first-launch market, you simply won’t be able to access the marketplace from your Windows PC.

Create a Windows Live ID with a US address

The second step in the process is creating a new Windows Live ID with a US address (or another first-launch country, like the United Kingdom or Germany).

• Go to mail.live.com and choose for the option to sign-up for a new Windows Live account;
• Country, state and zipcode during the set-up process are required from a US  address;
• Accept and create the Windows Live ID;

Use this website to find your zipcode and address in the United States! Joost van Schaik, Senior Software Architect GIS/ASP.NET, uses www.msn.com for the same procedure of creating a Windows Live ID.

When the Windows Live ID with US address is successfully created, you will be redirected to the inbox of the fresh created Windows Live Mail account !

Install Zune software 4.7

Go to the Zune website and download the Zune software to your Windows PC. Double click on the ZuneSetupPkg.exe and install the Zune software on your notebook.

Recently I have written an article about the upgrade of Zune software 4.2 to Zune software 4.7. Both the upgrade and fresh installationprocess are very similar, so I would like to recommend the Zune software 4.7 Installation article where you can see the different steps of the installation.

The installation is plug-and-play with a single click !

Sign-in with you Windows Live ID

When you start the Zune software for the first time, you will get a first launch video. However you can choose to skip this one via the button in the right bottom corner.

Start the configuration process by hitting the start button and use the recommended settings of the Zune software.

The screenshot above shows you the main screen of the Zune software. In the upper right corner you can see the pink zune logo, with the text sign-in on the left.

You need to enter the credentials of the recently created Windows Live ID with the US address.

In order to complete the sign-in process, you need to enter so additional information of you Zune account.

Remark the fields in the screenshot above, that consist of the Country:  United States, Language: English and a Postal code from the US as well. In the Zune Account Info screenshot above you need to enter your birthday, otherwise can’t the sign-in process be completed. I must admit that I overlooked this setting, but got notified when I clicked the accept button.

You need to select the Zune social settings, and click on the next button.

Enter the Zune tag, how you will be known in the Zune social community. In the example is the Zune tag “mobilityminded”. The account will be created now, till you see the last screen of the sign-in process.

The Zune account is created successfully ! Hit the finish button to start browsing apps for Windows Phone 7.  Go to marketplace and select apps from the sub-menu !

You are now ready to install Windows Phone 7 applications like:  Seesmic for Windows Phone 7, Foursquare for Windows Phone 7, Facebook for Windows Phone 7 and many more helpful applications.

Summary and concluding thoughts

This how to article consists of a lot of pictures, and it might look more complicated than it is. The whole process consists of 6 main steps, which I have summarized below:

1. Change current location to  United States;
2. Create a Windows Live ID with a US address;
3. Install Zune software 4.7
4. Sign-in with the created
5. Create a Windows Live ID with a US address;
6. Configure the Zune account (for example enter your birthday, zune tag, etc.);

Because I have been using a Zune HD for the past year, I have gone to a similar process. An international Zune usersguide, written by Jason Dunn Editor in Chief of Thoughtsmedia and Windows Phone MVP has helped me to get the Zune HD connected to the Marketplace. It won’t be a big surprise to see the similarities in both the tutorials !

Other how to articles:

• How to add a podcast to your Zune HD or Windows Phone 7;

In this article I will outline step-by-step how to add a podcast, like the Windows Phone Radio podcast, to your Windows Phone 7 device or Zune.  In this tutorial I will add the Windows Phone Radio podcast to the Zune software and let the weekly episodes automatically sync with my Zune HD.

“Each week, since October 1st 2010, Matt Akers (@skipdeez) and Brian Seitz (@brianseitz) will record and release a new podcast episode featuring behind the scenes information and conversation with key personalities inside Microsoft and our partner friends, regarding Windows Phone !”

Podcasts in Zune Marketplace

Last week I shared a closer look at Zune software 4.7, that included features for Windows Phone 7. Each Windows Phone 7 device is effectively a Zune mediaplayer (with comparable software onboard like the Zune HD).

The screenshot above shows you an overview of the Zune Marketplace, with the section podcasts on the second row from the navigation “breadcrumbs”. You can purchase and download podcasts from this section from the Zune Marketplace or use your ZunePass.

On the left you can see the different genres to easily navigate through the database with podcasts ! On the upper right you can see the search box, which simply allows you to search for a podcast or podcast series. On the bottom right you can see the most subscribed to podcasts.

There are two ways to add your favorite podcasts to the Zune software and sync these to Windows Phone 7 or Zune HD !

Add a favorite podcast to your Zune collection manually

The first option to add your favorite podcast is manually adding it to the Zune software. You navigate to collection in the upper navigation bar and select podcasts from the navigation bar below (collection – podcasts).

You can see the text “You have no podcasts in your collection” and just below the text ”add a favorite podcast” which you need to click !

A subscribe pop-up window opens, with a field where you need to enter the URL of the podcast series. The screenshot above shows this step with the URL of the Windows Phone Radio series entered:

• http://wpradio.podcast.windowsphone7.com/rss

Unfortunately some podcasts only seem to be available through iTunes. Tom Verhoeff, Student CS @ TU Delft, Microsoft Student Partner, has written an article on his blog about subscribing to iTunes podcasts in the Zune software. The same option of manually adding a podcast is used in this article !

Search for podcasts in Zune Marketplace

The second option to add your favorite podcast is to search for it from the search box in the upper right corner of the Zune software. The screenshot above shows the results of the search query “Windows Phone Radio”.

When you hit the search button the Zune software will both search through your collection as well as in the Zune Marketplace.

The search option is probably the easiest way to add a podcast, but as you could read above it is sometimes a necessity to add the podcasts manually !

The screenshot above shows the added Windows Phone Radio podcast series. On the left you can see the podcast series listed, and when you are subscribed to more series you will see those here.

In the screenshot I have selected the Windows Phone Radio podcast series, while you can see the episodes in the middle main-part of the Zune software. Episode 4, 3, and 2 are being downloaded. Remark the red progress bars !

Furthermore you can read the details of the podcast series in the right column. In the screenshot above you can read some background information and details about the Windows Phone Radio podcast series.

The screenshot above shows the  Windows Phone Radio podcast series, with Episode 2, 3, and 4 downloaded to my collection. However you might ask yourself why is episode 1 not downloaded, given the download-button behind the episode.

On the bottom of the right column you can see two buttons: (1) unsubscribe, and (2) series settings.

Podcast series settings - Set your playback and sync preferences !

The screenshot above shows you the series settings window of the Windows Phone Radio series. The first heading is called episodes, and the slider controls the number of episodes that are downloaded to the collection. You can see “keep 3 episodes of this podcasts“.

The second heading is labeled playback order, where you can choose between the newest episode first or the oldest episode first. The third heading allows you to configure the syncing options. Sync all unplayed and partially played episodes is selected here.

Overall thoughts and wrap-up

I hope that this how to tutorial provides insights in the different ways to add podcasts to your Windows Phone 7 device or Zune HD mediaplayer. While the search option is the easiest way, it is sometimes inevitable to add the URL of the podcast manually. Remark the article of Tom Verhoeff, Student CS @ TU Delft, Microsoft Student Partner.

Enjoy your favorite podcasts on the go !

The HTC HD2 has been the first Windows Phone with a 4.3″ capacitive screen and the extremely powerful 1.0 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. I still love this device, because it is extremely powerful. However these awesome features also impact the batterylife of the HTC HD2.

In this article I will review the HTC HD2 2300mAh Extended Battery and Cover with Kickstand, a great original HTC accessory that significantly will increase the time I can use the HTC HD2 on a single charge.

“Official extended battery for the HTC HD2, this 2300mAh battery comes complete with a replacement back cover, that has a kickstand -allowing you to stand the device up-.”

At first I will compare the original standard battery with the extended battery in terms of hardware and design. Second I will share my experiences in two important scenario’s using the HTC HD2.

Battery comparison - Standard  HTC HD2 battery vs. HTC HD2 Extended Battery and Backcover with Kickstand

Let’s start with the battery comparison, with the overview picture above. In the middle you can see the standard battery cover, with below the standard 1230 mAh HTC HD2 battery. On the right you can see the backcover of the HTC HD2 extended battery, with its remarkable kickstand. In the right bottom corner you can see the 2300 mAh extended battery, which you can see is a little more bulky.

The extended battery is not only the (almost) double value in terms of capacity and hard 2300 mAh, but as you can see in the picture above it is also the double thickness. It is almost as if you would place two standard batteries on top of each other. No suprise, since you have a limited amount of energy (with current battery technology) you can store per volume unit.

Now let’s compare the covers. In the picture above you can see the standard HTC HD2 metal back cover on the left. On the right you can see the plastic backcover of the HTC HD2 extended battery. It is nice curves and round edges, which make it comfortable in your hand. Furthermore you can see the metal kickstand with the text “with HTC Sense” engraved.

Kickstand on the HTC HD2 Extended Battery backcover

One of the unique characteristics of this original HTC HD2 extended battery over unbranded or no-name extended batteries is the kickstand in the backcover. This kickstand allows you to let the device stand up on your desk or table.

In the picture above you can see that the kickstand is folded out, making an angle of +/- 55 degrees with the surface of the table. When you put the HTC HD2 on the table with the folded out kickstand it also makes an angle of +/- 55 degrees with the surface of the table.

The viewing angle is certainly ok, however I can’t use Windows Media Player in landscape mode, and the YouTube app for Windows Phone rotates clockwise resulting in the video upside down (with the kickstand folded out). The kickstand is convenient when browsing the mobile web or viewing pictures in the HTC Album application on the HTC HD2.

HTC HD2 Extended Battery and Backcover with Kickstand in daily practice

The initial reasoning to get my hands on the HTC HD2 extended battery was not to charge my HTC HD2 every single business day and maximize the performance when you are on the road. Unfortunately Wizcode Pocket Battery Analyzer isn’t compatible with Windows Phone 6.x so I can’t provide you with discharge curves.

However you will make it through 2 full business days with average use and 1.5 business days with super heavy use with online services like Twitter, Facebook and multiple e-mail accounts running in the background. The extra volume on the backside sometimes gives you a better grip on the device, when are placing a phone call. Unfortunately you can’t use the Boxwave Honeycomb Crystal Slip for HTC HD2 anymore, however the camera on the backside is well protected with the thicker extended battery.

Another great feature is the Wi-Fi Router application on the HTC HD2 ! The advantage of the HTC HD2 2300mAh Extended Battery and Cover with Kickstand is here that you can use this operating mode significantly longer. I’m not using this feature all the time, because I can switch to the Option GlobeTrotter GT MAX HSUPA PCMCIA modem card if I would drain the battery to much. However it is great to create a hotspot for colleagues when you are on the road.

Overall conclusions and wrap-up

If you make up the overall balance of pro’s and con’s of the HTC HD2 2300mAh Extended Battery and Cover with Kickstand, you will need to weigh the double capacity and increase in battery life with the added volume/bulk on the backside of the HTC HD2.

While it certainly has advantages like the better hold/grip and the protection of the camera lense, I hear people complain that it doesn’t let the device look better. This is however a subjective judgement everyone needs to make, but from a functional perspective the HTC HD2 2300mAh Extended Battery and Cover with Kickstand is a killer. Remark also that the unique kickstand feature has become an integrated part of the HTC HD7 design, and check-out the Slashgear HTC HD7 Hands-on to find out if the kickstand is cool !

For me personally it is simply a good feeling to have a highly powerful device, knowing that you have enough battery-capacity a hand while on the go !

Also I would like to thank the Clove team for the opportunity to review the HTC HD2 extended battery and backcover with kickstand. You should definitely check out the completely redesigned Clove website, that looks awesome. Head over to the Clove website and buy your HTC HD2 2300mAh Extended Battery and Cover with Kickstand !

… and don’t forget to upgrade your HTC HD2 to the latest ROM !

Since last Mobius conference in Seattle last November, I have been fortunate to use a Zune HD 32GB. It is an awesome mediaplayer, on which you can install some cool applications like Twitter or Windows Live Messenger.

One of the most brilliant things of using the Zune HD is the excellent and highly functional desktop-client,which received the latest update to Zune software 4.2 some time ago.

Because it was the Windows Phone 7 launch day, I decided to check if there were any updates for the Zune software in the early morning. Yes there was an update available, like you can see in the screenshot below, and hopefully I could see some of the features for Windows Phone 7.

Zune software 4.7 – Update to roll out Windows Phone 7 features !

I was really excited and upgrading the Zune software is extremely easy. You simply hit the update now button and the upgrade process is almost automatically done, with just two clicks.

The Zune software first downloads the upgrade locally to your Windows PC.

When completely downloaded you are asked to accept the End User License Agreement, which is shown in the screenshot above. Click on the accept button.

After you accepted the EULA and when the Zune software is ready for install click the install button.

You wil now see the installation progress like in the screenshot above !

Zune software 4.7 is installed and ready to connect my Zune HD 32GB and hopefully in the near future a Windows Phone 7 device !

The screenshot above shows the about screen of the Zune software in which you can see that it is the famous Zune software 4.7 version, that includes the Windows Phone 7 hooks !

Apps for Windows Phone 7

Since I’m familiar with the Zune Marketplace and the Apps for Zune HD I don’t expect a massive deviation from those concepts for Windows Phone 7. When I navigated to the tab marketplace and choose for the category apps you can see a heading on the left called devices. Here you can choose between Zune HD and Windows Phone ! In the screenshot above you can see that Windows Phone is selected, so only applications compatible with this device will be shown to the end-user.

Te screenshots from the early morning before the launch shows simple black tiles, but I will come back to that later. Below the heading devices, you can see the heading genres on the left. Genres are categories that make it easy to navigate through the applications for Windows Phone 7. I’m sure that this is not a static set of genres, but I think it will evolve over time with probably  new genres. However the list below isn’t bad to start at all:

• Games;
• Entertainment;
• Photo;
• Lifestyle;
• News and weather;
• Health and fitness;
• Finance;
• Travel;
• Navigation;
• Social;
• Productivity;
• Tools;
• Business;
• Books and reference;

When you start to dig around in the settings of Zune software 4.7 you find other proof of Windows Phone 7 capabilities. One of those settings is “do more on the web” and it is a feature that works only with Windows Phone 7. It is explicitly mentioned in the screenshot above (within the device settings menu).

In the account settings you will see that Windows Phone app Marketplace is present in addition to the Zune Pass computers and devices. In the previous version 4.2 of the Zune software this wasn’t present of course.

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

At first I’m very happy to see Microsoft release Windows Phone 7, since this has been a huge day for the Mobile division. With this official release/announcement an era of Windows Mobile Device Center and Active Sync has “ended” as well (only will still be available in the Windows Mobile 6.x family). See here the beautiful Zune software that will be the desktop client to sync multimedia with your Windows Phone 7 device !

But there is more. You can buy music, video and most important download and install applications from it, like the recent announced 50 blockbuster titles of Xbox LIVE games for Windows Phone 7 ! Furthermore I have read news about 2000 available applications in the Windows Phone marketplace by October 21st ! Unfortunately these are not all present yet as you can see in the screenshot above.

Furthermore the Zune team has added some very cool minor tweaks like the “Drag and drop things here to sync with your device” ! Unfortunately I don’t have a Windows Phone 7 device yet to connect with the Zune software, however Engadget has a video of the Samsung SGH I917 connected to Zune 4.7 !

I would like to place a small comment about a feature that we hopefully see in future versions of the Zune software. Remember Kin Studio ?

The KIN Studio automatically backs up texts, call history, photos, videos and contacts, and populates a personalized digital journal so it’s easy to go back in time to relive a crazy weekend or recent birthday. [...]

This is some great Kin Studio functionality that impressed me most at the Kin launch. However I think it  could be very valuable for consumers, certainly if you see similar functionality coming to Android via HTCSense.com and the new HTC Sense on the HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z.

The countdown to October 21st has started and I’m looking forward to get my Windows Phone 7 device. Not sure yet which one …

The mobile technology news has been dominated yesterday with the official launch of Microsoft Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system and devices of launching partners HTC, Samsung and LG.

It almost slipped through that a ROM upgrade for the HTC HD2 has been released yesterday. The HTC HD2 is an incredible powerful device I love to use, and will continue to use for some time.

HTC HD2 ROM 3.14 improvements

The following improvements can be gained with the ROM upgrade according to the HTC Support website:

This upgrade for HTC HD2 includes all previously released updates;

For the Contacts application allowing for faster searching and locating contacts;

Enhanced handling for CPU processing that will quicken the background processes allowing for an overall improved experience;

IMPORTANT

This update is NOT intended for use on T-Mobile(US) HTC HD2, and doing so may have undesired side effects.

HTC HD2 screenshots of ROM 3.14

Yesterday night I flashed my HTC HD2 with this ROM as you can see in the screenshots above. One of the key improvements is the ”unlock” of the  full 512 MB storage to the end-user ! You can see this both in the left screenshot below, as well as in the system information of Resco Explorer 2010.

Another improvement is the new setup wizard for setting-up an e-mail account. You can now choose the most common e-mail services and set-up the accounts with a single entry of your credentials.

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

Big compliments to HTC to continue the development of improvements for the current line Windows Mobile 6.x devices, certainly if you think about the biggest launch line-up ever with five HTC Windows Phone 7 devices !

I will need to spent some more time to find out where the improvements in the contact handling are, but overall it feels a little more snappy and stable. However after a week of use I can tell more …

Grab your download of the latest HTC HD2 ROM and drop a comment what you think of the improvements ?

IMPORTANT

This update is NOT intended for use on T-Mobile(US) HTC HD2, and doing so may have undesired side effects.

Brandon Le Blanc, Windows Communications Manager at Microsoft, posted a tweet this morning about an article he published on the Windows Experience Blog, that briefly looked at a new application Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD.

Some time ago I reviewed the application Twitter for Zune HD, which I have been using on my Zune HD 32GB together with the Zune HD Facebook app, to keep track of most important social networks. In this article I will review Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD, the latest addition to the Zune Marketplace, that fills the gap of a decent Instant Messaging client on this great multi-purpose device.

Download and installation Windows Live Messenger from Zune Marketplace

I launched Zune Software 4.2 on my Lenovo X60 tablet, signed in in the upper right corner and went directly for the marketplace tab, anc chose for the category apps.

In the overview of Apps for Zune HD I chose for the sub-category social networking, which is shown in the screenshot above. You can see there are already Facebook and Twitter clients for the Zune HD, and today Windows Live Messenger is added as well.

When you click on the Windows Live Messenger application in the Marketplace, you get an awesome overview with a description of the application as shown in the picture above. The next step to get Windows Live Messenger on my Zune HD 32GB is to click on the download button to start the download to “My Collection”. When the download is finished, the text on the download button changes to “In Collection”.

The next step is to install Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD from your collection onto the Zune HD 32GB. You simply go to the tab collection, and the category apps. You now get an overview of the applications for Zune HD which are in my collection on the Lenovo notebook.

I connect the Zune HD 32GB to my notebook and click in the Windows Live Messenger application. In the preview pane on the right you can read some details about the application, and you simply drag and drop Windows Live Messenger to the connected Zune HD 32GB in the left bottom corner. You can see in the picture above the Windows Live Messenger icon and the + that copies the application to the Zune HD.

Windows Live Messenger on Zune HD

In this section of the review I will provide a step-by-step overview of the Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD application. In the right picture above you can see the About-screen of Windows Live Messenger 2011 for Zune HD, which includes the latest features of Windows Live Essentials 2011.

Sign In

Just like any other application for Zune HD you go select the Apps category from the Zune homescreen, and select Windows Live Messenger among the applications to start the app. In the left screenshot you can see the first time sign-in screen of Windows Live Messenger 2011 for Zune HD.

You can see the great implementation of the panorama, which is a very helpful and unique part of the Metro design language for Zune HD and upcoming Windows Phone 7. In the top navigation you can see that you can switch between the sign in and about screens.

Because it is the first time sign in, the Windows Live Messenger avatar isn’t downloaded yet. Like you are used to from the Windows PC version you see the green border, that tells you that you sign-in with the available status. You can also select busy, away or even appear offline by clicking on the avatar.

In order to sign in to Windows Live Messenger 2011 for Zune HD, you click on the big arrow in the bottom right corner. You simply sign in via a two step sign-in process where you enter:  (1) the e-mail address of your Windows Live ID and (2) the password of your Windows Live ID and click on the “sign in button” on the keyboard.

The Zune HD now turns on  the Wireless radio and automatically connects with your Wi-Fi network (if you have configured this).

This results in the main screen of Windows Live Messenger 2011 for Zune HD. In addition to your avatar you have a box where you can directly “share something new” just like a status update and below that you can see a navigation menu that consists of 4 items: (1) social, (2) friends, (3) chats, and (4) options.

In the right screenshot you can see that I shared the text “Windows Live Messenger on Zune HD looks very nice and clean”. My avatar is downloaded as well. In the following sections below I will cover each of the four navigation menu items.

Social

The panorama of the social menu consists of ”tabs” that are also present in the Windows PC version of Windows Live Messenger 2011. In the list below are the panorama screens you can find in the social menu of Windows Live Messenger:

1. Highlights;
2. Recent;
3. Me;
4. Photos;
5. Status Messages;
6. Links;
7. Videos;

In the left picture above you can see a screen with highlights (1) on Windows Live and its connected services. In the right picture above you can see a list of social items of me (3). Among these items it the notification that I connected Facebook and Windows Live and enjoy the benefits and synergy of the connection of both services.

“Messenger for the Zune HD lets you check out social updates from your friends on Windows Live which includes things they’ve shared from Facebook, Flickr, or MySpace and chat with your friends.”

In the left picture above you can see the shared links (6) on Windows Live. In this example it is the Cyclingnews article that covered the  Michael Matthews’ victory at the men’s under 23 UCI Road World Championships 2010. In the right picture you can see an overview of shared videos on Windows Live: A YouTube video of the HTC Desire Z, which has been announced a few weeks ago during the HTC Press Conference in London.

Friends

Instant Messaging is about communication with other people, which can be found under the navigation menu item friends. The friends panorama consists of four different screens/tabs, that are listed below.

1. All;
2. Favorites;
3. Recent;
4. Facebook;

In the all screen you get an overview of all (1) your Windows Live Messenger contacts, sorted by groups and sorted by status which is shown in the left picture above. Windows Live allows you to integrate with a wide range of other services like Flickr, MySpace, WordPress and Facebook.

“It (Windows Live Messenger) also supports Facebook Chat just like Messenger on your Windows PC does!”

Your Facebook contacts are listed in the Facebook (4) screen of the friends panorama. Now it doesn’t matter if your friend is logged in on  Facebook or Messenger, you can simply chat with him/her from within one application. The chat below with Mike Temprale was initiated as a Facebook chat, and it worked really well over multiple screens (I had Windows Live Messenger open on the Lenovo X60 tablet as well).

When you tab-and-hold on a contact you will get a pop-up menu, that allows you to perform certain actions. These actions are shown in the right picture above, where I can (A) send an IM, (B) remove from favorites, (C) appear offline, or (D) view social updates from Mike Temporale. In the left picture you can see that I have Mike Temporale added to my favorite (3) Windows Live contacts. I have a fairly limited number of Windows Live Contacts, that is easy to manage. So personally I don’t use the favorites feature myself.

Chats

The navigation menu item chats is self-explanetory. In the pictures above you can see my Windows Live Messenger chat with Mike Temporale, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Mobile Devices and Editor in Chief of MobileJaw! In the left picture you can see the on-screen keyboard of the Zune HD, that works pretty well (but I’m a dedicated hardware keyboard fanatic)

Options

Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD consists of a wide range of option screens, that are listed below. “Options” is the fourth navigation menu item from the Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD main screen.

1. Personal;
2. Contacts;
3. Messages;
4. Notifications;
5. Sounds;
6. Privacy;

Under personal (1) you can set the option to share the song that is currently playing on your Zune HD. This feature is also present in the Twitter and Facebook for Zune HD applications. In the contacts (2) screen you can configure how you want to sort the contacts. Sort by status or alphabetically. Timestamps and emoticons can be switched on/off under the messages (3) screen of the friends panorama, that is shown in the right picture above.

The notifications (4) and sounds (5) screens have the most options to configure. Both the screens from the options panorama are shown in the pictures above. You can see that these features are very comperable with the options of the PC version of Windows Live Messenger. In the privacy (6) screen can you delete your current Windows Live ID and sign-in with a new (fresh) Windows Live account.

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

Yesterday Microsoft released Windows Live Essentials 2011 with improved versions of most applications in the Essentials Suite. I was a little surprised to see Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD to be released this morning, but it makes definitely sense due to the momentum and recent changes in the Windows Live value proposition.

The look and feel of Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD is very sleek and clean. In terms of features and functionality is pretty comperable with the PC version of Windows Live Messenger 2011, however with the advantage that you can use it on a mobile device. Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD is freeware, rock solid stable and pretty fast.

Microsoft released some more apps and games for Zune HD. Ian Dixon, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Windows Entertainment & Connected Home nd Editor in Chief of The Difital Lifestyle, wrote an article about Metronome for Zune HD and Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD. Brandon Le Blanc, Windows Communications Manager at Microsoft,  mentioned three new games for Zune HD: WordMonger, Castles and Cannons, Dr. Optics.

Windows Live Messenger 2011 – Zune HD vs. Windows Phone 7 ?

I would like to wrap-up with a with the remark from Rob Miles, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, during one of his sessions at DevDays 2010 in The Hague , Netherlands. He advised developers who would like to jumpstart development for Windows Phone 7 to buy a Zune HD and start developing for this device, due to the similarities in programming languages and tools.

Therefore I expect this version of Windows Live Messenger 2011 to be very very similar to the version you will see on Windows Phone 7, however this is pure speculation from my side. What do you think of Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD and has Windows Live Messenger for Windows Phone 7 ?

]]> http://www.mobilityminded.com/9783/windows-live-messenger-on-zune-hd-review-a-precursor-for-windows-phone-7/feed 1 http://www.mobilityminded.com/9387/brando-mini-usb-to-micro-usb-adapter-review-re-use-your-old-mini-usb-cables http://www.mobilityminded.com/9387/brando-mini-usb-to-micro-usb-adapter-review-re-use-your-old-mini-usb-cables#comments Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:30:37 +0000 Remo Knops http://www.mobilityminded.com/?p=9387

A few days ago a reviewed the BlueLounge CableClips, one of those really helpful well-designed accessories that make everyday life easier. In this article I will cover another accessory from the same category, the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter that allows you to re-use your “old” miniUSB cables. With the build-in ON/OFF switch can you switch between the sync mode and charge mode.

Brando is probably best known because of its highly accurate screenprotectors that almost don’t wear out. While the Brando Screen Protector Plus Anti-Glare for HTC HD2 had some great advantages, I also use the same type of screenprotector on the HTC Snap which is a non touch device.

A detailed look at the Brando Mini USB to Micro USB Adapter with ON/OFF Switch

Enough about Brando screenprotectors, and back to the hardware design of the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter. The picture above shows you the front-view of the adapter.

On the left you can see the microUSB plug (male), while on the bottom you can see the ON/OFF switch to switch between the two operating modes (1) sync or (2) charge. Furthermore you can see two LED lights on the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter that represent both the operating modes. The left LED tells you you are charging the device, while the right LED is the syncing operating mode.

In the picture above you can see the left side-view of the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter. This surface of the adapter  shows you the microUSB plug (male).

The picture above shows the right side-view of the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter, that shows you the miniUSB port (female).As you can see in the picture, only miniUSB cables with this specific contour form will fit. I recall the sync and charging of some HTC devices that were a-symetric and had one rectangular side (while the other side had the typical miniUSB shape).

The top-view of the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter, which is shown in the picture above, and the back-view show clean surfaces without any buttons, lights, ports or antenna’s.

Sync and charge with the Brando Mini USB to Micro USB Adapter

One of the unique features of the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter is the ON/OFF switch that gives users the ability to switch between the operating mode (1) sync and (2) charge.

In the picture above I have the HTC HD Mini connected to my Windows 7 powered Lenovo X60 tablet. The ON/OFF switch is set to the sync operating mode, and you can directly see that the LED lights up green.

For the second operating mode I have the same HTC HD Mini connected with the MaxiMobileShop 4-port USB Power Adapter to the wall-socket. I’m simply charging the HTC HD Mini with the ON/OFF switch, set to the charge operating mode. As you can see in the picture above, the charge LED lights up red when active.

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

About a year ago 10 companies signed a memorandum of understanding to adopt microUSB as the new standard. While miniUSB was widely used by HTC, Samsung for example still had its proprietary connector.

I’m sure a lot of us still have miniUSB cables in the drawer of the desk, often not used for some time. The  Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter, gives these old cables a new purpose. With the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter and an older miniUSB cable you still can sync and charge the latest and greatest smartphones and electronic devices.

For the reasonable price of $6,00 you can ”re-use” your old miniUSB cables. I have a miniUSB cable  in my car, so combined with the Brando miniUSB to microUSB adapter, I can charge my HTC HD2 , Samsung Omnia 735 or bluetooth headset on the road.

In this article I would like to provide a short review of the BlueLounge CableClips, which is a great accessory that helps me to organize the spaghetti of cables we sometimes carry in our bags.

“Cable management  is essential in our modern day lives. These multi-purpose clips keep all sizes of cables tidy and untangled. For the home, office, workshop and traveling, CableClip manages your cables in a simple and fun way by keeping cables accessible and organized. Perfect for stowing away all surplus cables.”

Meet the BlueLounge CableClips in Small Medium and Large

The picture above shows you the retail package of the BlueLounge CableClips in the sizes medium (left) and small (right). The medium package consists of four cableclips, the small package of six cableclips and the large package that I haven’t reviewed yet has two large cableclips.

On the backside of the retail package you can read a brief desciption and a simple step-by-step-plan how to use the BlueLounge CableClips. Furthermore you can see some examples in the picture, just below the description on the package.

What is the difference between the CableClip sizes ?

Cables of electronic equipment vary in length and thickness. As an example compare the powercord of your notebook with the sync & charge cable of your smartphone, or the cables of your in-ear headphones.

BlueLounge has therefore developed three different sizes of the CableClips, each size aiming at a particular segment of cabletypes:

• Small, Ideal for short or thin cords such as earbud cords, small data cables and charger cords;
• Medium, Ideal for shortening or storing USB & data cords, small power cords, audio cords and phone cables;
• Large, Ideal for shortening thick or long powercords and ethernet network cables;

In order to make sure the CableClips fits your cable you definitely need to think clearly about the sizing description above. For example the Gomadic 2-in-1 Car and Home Combo Charger with Tip Exchange won’t fit in a small BlueLounge CableClips, since the cable is to thick and to long.  So think first before you buy.

How it works – Using BlueLounge CableClips in Practice

1. Loop the cable around your hand or fingers to a convenient size;
2. Using you index finger, prise open one side of the CableClip and press the cables in;
3. Using you index finger, prise open the opposite side of the CableClip and press the cables in;

This step-by-step-action-plan is far more simple in practice as it looks on paper. If you have the right size CableClips for your particulare cable it is a piece of cake. You no longer need to use elestic rubber bands to keep your cables organized.

In the picture below you can see some of the examples in which I use a BlueLounge CableClips to efficiently manage the cable spaghetti.

I use the small BlueLounge CableClips for the AIAIAI Tracks on-ear headphones and the AIAIAI Y-Com in-ear headphones. Furthermore I use the small BlueLounge CableClips for the sync and charge cable of the Samsung Omnia 735.

A medium sized BlueLounge CableClips is used for the Gomadic Power Hot Sync and Charge Straight USB Cable with TipExchange, and for the cable of my TomTom Navigation system in my car. Furthermore I have a spare USB cable in my car to charge a smartphone or bleutooth headset with the SKROSS Midget carcharger.  Now the cables in my car are organized as well.

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

Great and highly functional accessoiries don’t need to have a complex product design or a high price.

BlueLonge CableClips have a relative simple product design, and you really can’t complain about the pricepoint of $9,95 !! Especially when you buy the small or medium CableClips, you will get six or four clips for this price.

I’m happy that the time of elastic rubber bands, to organize the cables in my Crumpler BeanCounter L messenger style bag, is over. BlueLounge CableClips make everyday life a little more arranged !

Hello all,

Remo is at the Press event in London right now, and will liveblog here. The liveblog will start at 12:00 UK time. That is 13:00 in Europe and 7:00 AM New York time.

During the Microsoft Office 2010 Launch Event, fellow editor Remo Knops got some time alone with the latest Samsung Windows Phone, the Samsung B7350 Omnia Pro 4 Smartphone and shared his experiences with us. At that time the name of the device was Omnia Pro4 (GT-B7350) and now the name on which it will appear on the market will be Samsung Omnia 735. After these formalities we should go more in-depth with this new Windows Phone.

Introducing the Samsung Omnia 735

The Omnia 735 seems to be a typical business Windows Phone, packed with a lot of features and applications to make your daily personal and professional life a lot easier. It has the same form factor as it’s predecessor the Omnia Pro, but now features a resistive touch screen, a front facing camera for video calls and Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Professional and Office Mobile 2010.

This device is aimed at the professional market and also includes a lot of business applications like a Pocket Dictionary for some quick translations on the go and a Smart Reader for a quick scan of some business cards. On the road you can use the included Office Communicator Mobile client, a Remote Desktop client and the Cisco Webex client for online meetings.

For your entertainment it includes a FM Radio, a Podcast client,  an Allshare client for streaming files to a computer or server and a Streaming player. Access to all your social networks is provided too with a Twitter and Facebook client, a client for online communities like Picasa and Flickr (and lots more). There is even navigation with Google Maps.

As you can see this phone is designed to support you on the road anywhere in the world and Samsung made a good effort with a lot of well chosen included applications. Now let’s have a look at the specifications of this device.

]]> http://www.mobilityminded.com/9263/samsung-omnia-735-b7350-review-windows-mobile-6-5-3-with-a-business-touch/feed 13 http://www.mobilityminded.com/9463/htc-press-event-london-what-will-htc-announce http://www.mobilityminded.com/9463/htc-press-event-london-what-will-htc-announce#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:00:58 +0000 Remo Knops http://www.mobilityminded.com/?p=9463

Exactly a week from now HTC will have a big press event in London, and MobilityMinded is fortunate to report live from this event. With a lot of rumors floating around the world wide web the question remains, what or which products and underlying concepts will HTC announce in London ?

Engadget already published an article a few weeks ago: “HTC Schedules september 15th even leaves us guessing as to what“  Some possible options named in the article are:

1. HTC Desire HD;
2. HTC Visions or T-Mobile G2;
3. Windows Phone 7 device;

Interesting was the question of Arnoud Wokke, Editor of Tweakers.net, who asked Mark Moons, Regional Director Benelux HTC, about a Chrome OS tablet for Google. Of course no clear answer, but an Apple iPad killer is another possible option that might perfectly fit the complete list of speculations for the announcement(s) of upcoming HTC Press Event in London.

#HTCLON – HTC Facebook Meetup, London

Furthermore on -the same day as the HTC Press Event- September 15th, will HTC organize a HTC Facebook Meetup in London. The message below was yesterday communicated via Facebook and Twitter:

London, we are coming your way. We thought a party would be nice pick-me-up for the middle of your week. Come out and have an evening on us. We will have food, drinks, music, and phones for you to enjoy. We will also have a few phones to give away to attendees! If you are planning on coming, please RSVP for HTC Facebook Meetup London to let us know.

This event is open to everyone, you just have to RSVP via Facebook. If you are in or around London that day I would certainly RSVP for the event. It is a great chance to get some possible hands-on time with HTC’s latest and greatest devices !

Thoughts and wrap-up

MobilityMinded will attend the HTC Press Event in London next week. I’m excited and looking forward to a highly interesting day with (hopefully) lots of technology.

Hopefully you will tune-in to the Live coverage of the HTC Press Event in London, and with a little more luck we might even catch-up or have a drink during the HTC Facebook Meetup.

• What do you think will be announced at the HTC Press Event in London next week ?

Mobilityminded will live blog the HTC Event on this page: http://www.mobilityminded.com/9616/htc-press-event-now-live

In this article I will provide a short overview of Reboot! 1.2, a small and helpful application developed by Quantum Concepts. On the Reboot! product-page you can read the following description:

Reboot! Is a tiny application which simply allows you to reboot or power-off* your phone. Most phones require you to hold down a specific hardware key combination to shut down your phone or remove the back battery cover and find a tiny reset button in order to reboot your phone. But with Reboot!, it’s simple – just tap the icon!

Reboot! 1.2 – A short overview

In the left screenshot above you can see that a program folder “Reboot!” is added to the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Start Menu. When you open the folder, there are two icons -each represents a way to softreset your Windows Phone-.

1. Reboot Now!  (green icon);
2. Reboot!  (orange icon);

The green Reboot Now! icon instantly does an instant soft reset of your Windows Phone, and there is no confirmation step or whatever involved. Reboot Now! is literally reboot now.

The orange Reboot! icon results in a different way of soft resetting your Windows Phone. When you click the Reboot! icon, a new screen is opened, which you can see below. The message on the screen tells the story: “To reboot your phone new, simply tap the image, or the Reboot Now menu item below”.

The left soft key triggers the Reboot Now! command, while the right soft key “Menu” opens a pop-up menu that consists of a few options: (1) Feedback, (2) Online Help, (3) About, and (4) Exit.

Via the Feedback (1) menu item, you can directly sent a comment, issue or suggestion back to the developers at Quantum Concepts. I really like this implementation, since it doesn’t require you to boot a notebook to sent some feedback to the developers.

The Online Help (2) menu item opens the default mobile web browser and opens the Quantum Concepts website. The About (3) menu item shows you the version and build information, which is shown in the right screenshot below. Exit (4) closes the Reboot! application.

Compare both sequences to soft reset your Windows Phone:

Reboot Now!  (green icon) – Instant soft reset
Reboot!  (orange icon) – Tap on the big image of the orange Reboot! logo – Confirm the question “Are you sure you want to Reboot the device?”

Overall conclusion and thoughts

Applications don’t have to be complex or extremely feature rich to be helpful on a daily basis.  One of those applications in this category is MoDaCo NoData, that helps me to avoid roaming costs.

I think Reboot! perfectly fits this category of small, clever and useful applications for Windows Phone. Reboot! provides two ways to soft reset your Windows Phone, instantly via the Reboot Now! command or via a two-step process of the orange Reboot! icon.

Reboot! is available for both Windows Mobile Professional (tested on the HTC HD2), and Windows Mobile Standard (tested on the HTC Snap). Furthermore Windows Mobile 6.5.3 is supported as well as a variety of screen resolutions (WVGA 480×800, QVGA 240×320 and 320×320).

Reboot! v1.2 is available for the pricepoint of $0.99 from Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

• Reboot! for Windows Mobile Standard (Non-touchscreen)
• Reboot! for Windows Mobile Professional (Touchscreen)

Do you think such applications are also meaningful in the Windows Phone 7 time frame ?