Several users of the new Windows Phone 7 phones attended me to the fact that not every Windows Phone 7 has the option to disable the 3G data connection or set it to 2G to save battery power. Some quick investigation amongst 3 popular Windows Phone 7 phones, which are now available in The Netherlands did only reveal one surprise: The Samsung Omnia 7 has no option to disable a 3G data connection ! Disabling your 3G connection can be useful if you are in an area without 3G coverage or spend a lot of time on the border of a 2G/3G network, where the phone is constantly seeking for a 3G connection and can’t get one, causing the battery getting drained real quick.

Other phones I have checked out are the HTC Trophy and LG Optimus 7. These phones both contain the option to enable or disable a 3G connection.

The pictures below show you the Samsung Cellular screen and the same screen from LG:

The last screen I would like to show you is the one from the HTC Trophy. I assume this screen will be the same on all other HTC Windows Phone 7 devices.

If you experience the same with your phone and cannot disable your 3G let us know in the comments ! If you would like to know more about all the other options you can enable or disable, have a look at Remo’s article where he shows all the features of the core OS from Windows Phone 7 !

]]> http://www.mobilityminded.com/10706/windows-phone-7-data-or-3g-connections-on-htc-trophy-samsung-omnia-7-and-lg-optimus-7/feed 4 http://www.mobilityminded.com/7241/apple-iphone-3g-and-3gs-battery-drain-fix http://www.mobilityminded.com/7241/apple-iphone-3g-and-3gs-battery-drain-fix#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:35:51 +0000 Johan van Mierlo http://www.mobilityminded.com/?p=7241

It has happened to many iPhone users. Suddenly your iPhone is draining very quickly, even without using the iPhone at all.

This has happened to my iPhone now for two times. On many blogs and forums people are complaining about it and many tips are given but not a real good answer to the sudden quick drain of your battery.  Below are these tips to save on battery power but won’t fix the sudden extreme drainage of your battery.

We have changed the title to include Android and Windows Phone devices now as well. We experienced the same battery drain on other mobile platforms. It seems that the exchange sync funtion (possibly calendar) hangs on the devices. In which it means it constantly is asking for data transfer in which your battery drains very fast. The device will feel hot as well. The solution is simple but takes some time.

• You need to delete to exchange account on your device
• After is is finished deleting your synced information you turn off your device and restart it.
• Set up your exchange account as before, the device will sync all your information back to your device.

The tips below will preserve more battery power:

• Turn off 3G (saves battery and is almost a must in area’s where you have Edge coverage)
• Turn off Notifications
• Turn off Push for e-mail
• Turn off  WiFi
• Turn off Bluetooth
• Set your Fetch schedule on all your other emails to manually
• Turn your Brightness down

Again these tips above will not fix your sudden battery drain on your iPhone. And really turning off all these options, kinda makes your iPhone a phone like any other. You really don’t have to do this.

I have discovered that the sudden extreme battery drain has to do with your Exchange Account that has been set up on your iPhone.  For some odd reason it keeps check and checking for new info and it won’t stop. Before trying to do a restore on your iPhone I would first recommend deleting your Exchange Push Account on your iPhone and set it up again as a new account. This will save some time in the fix for the extreme fast battery drainage.

Follow the steps below to fix the extreme battery drainage on your iPhone.

1. Go to your “Settings” on your iPhone.
2. Select “Mail,Contact,Calendars“.
3. Select your account that has been set up with an exchange server.
4. Select “Account Info“.
5. Copy down the information which you will need to set up this account again later on.
6. Select the “Arrow back ” on the top of your screen with the name of your account.
7. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select “Delete Account“
8. Let the iPhone do its work. It will remove all e-mails, contacts and calendar items from your iPhone associated with your account.
9. When done Turn off your iPhone and Turn it back on.
10. Once your iPhone is turned back on you can go back to Step 1,2
11. Back in the “Mail,Contacts,Calendar” Settings you have to select  “Add Account“
12. Select the “Microsoft Exchange” and enter the credentials you copied down before.
13. The server information is not visible in this field yet, it will appear after you set up your E-mail, Domain, Username and Password are entered and “Next” has been selected.
14. Now your account has been set up again. It will take some time for the iPhone to synchronize everything back. Give it some 5-10 minutes.

Now your Exchange Push account has been set up again and your extreme battery drainage has been stopped. If you think that after these steps you still have this issue, I would recommend using the “Restore” function in iTunes while your iPhone is connected.

The Nokia Booklet 3G is an out of their line-up product. We all know Nokia well as a mobile phone manufacturer. The Nokia Booklet 3G is a netbook with the option to add your own Sim card with a data plan to have a 3G connection. Besides the possible 3G connection it also has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity.

The Nokia Booklet arrives in a beautiful blue box with a raised impression of the Booklet 3G on the top. A sleeve slides out on one of the sides.

In this Sleeve is located:

• the Nokia Booklet 3G mobile device
• Nokia Headset WH-205
• Nokia Battery
• Nokia AC/DC power adaptor (I had to find a converter plug from UK to US to be able to charge the unit)
• Nokia USB Charging Multi Cable (allows you to charge a Nokia Phone and a Micro USB device at the same time using the power of the Booklet 3G)
• Cleaning Cloth
• Quick Set-up Guide

Specifications:

Operating system & Software

• Genuine Windows 7  Starter
• MS Office Small Business (60 days trail)
• Ovi Suite (separate download)
• Social Hub (separate download)
• F-Secure Internet Security 2010 (30-day trail)

Hardware

• Intel® Atom™ Z530, 1.6 GHz
• Intel® Poulsbo US15W
• RAM: 1 GB DDR2
• Hard drive: 120 GB
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Built-in 3G modem (data calls only): WCDMA 850/1900/2100
• 1.3 megapixel FF camera
• HDMI port for HD video out
• Built-in stereo speakers, and microphone
• Analog audio output/headphone out (with OMTP headsets also functions as audio-in)
• 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 720 pixel display
• Glass window
• Frame keyboard
• HDMI 1.2 out for HD video
• 3 x USB 2.0
• 3.5 mm headphone out (OMTP: with OMTP headsets also functions as audio in)
• DC-in
• SD card reader
• SIM/USIM slot
• Battery is 56.8 watt hours
• Accelerometer (motion sensor)
• Integrated GPS and A-GPS
• Ovi Maps application

On the left side of the unit there are 2 USB ports, HDMI output, Headphone jack and a speaker.

On the right side of the unit there are the power port, USB port, Sim card slot, SD card slot, Power Button and a speaker.

Below I have illustrated what you will see when removing the flap that covers the Sim and SD Card slot.

User Experiences

The version we have for review comes from the UK and has a UK keyboard lay-out. The keys are nicely raised and have a great touch with enough spacing between them. This gives you a good feel for the keys without making mistakes of hitting the wrong keys.

The screen is good. It doesn’t compare though with vibrant colors on competitor models. However some competitor models screens are worse as well. The border around the screen is pretty wide. A lot more screen estate could have been used with still maintaining the integrated web cam.

In the US you can’t have two Sim cards on one account. This means I actually had to use a Sim card from my phone with a data service enabled on it. I inserted the card which uses a similar mechanism like a SD card. It is spring loaded. Push in all the way to have it inserted and just push it in again and it pops out.  With a  left clicking on the bottom right task bar (the Wireless connections icon) you will see the name of the Sim card provider and you can connect to it with ease. Wi-FI can be be turned off, but the bars will still show you the connection you have with the cell network. I do turn off the data connection while being in a strong Wi-Fi connection area. In my experiences I see the icon with less available bars in 3G while I have full bars with Wi-Fi. While disconnecting from the 3G data network the icon will show me the full bars of the Wi-Fi connection.

Unfortunately the Booklet 3G is installed with only the Windows 7 starter version. This netbook comes with an elegant design and a high price tag. A higher version of  Windows 7 is kind of expected. Especially when you want to use the netbook in a business environment.

The internal GPS antenna will only work when your 3G connection is active.  Kind a strange, because it would be nice to have the GPS with a 3G connection. The only function so far possible to use is the Ovi Maps Gadget on your desktop. Here it will show you just your location. To have more functions available you have to open the Online Ovi Maps. I guess here you really need your 3G connection to have a functional GPS application. I would have rather seen a pre-installed navigation system with maps on the Booklet 3G to use with the internal GPS without accessing your 3G connection. Especially since in the US the 3G with the sim operators don’t have enough coverage yet.

One of the thing I am really impressed by is the battery life. It has a 16 cell unit and is very small and it doesn’t add much weight to the unit. I came within 1 hour to the 12 hour Nokia claims it will have. The time I got was close to 11 hours which is still amazing. (WiFi and #G turned on) . There might be some issues with the battery notification within Windows 7 which can give you a wrong indication. I get a 98% with 7 hr and 28 minutes after a overnight charge, but after an hour I have 89% with over 15 hours left. When I start using the booklet intermittently I have the following results after 3.5 our after charging.  68% or 5 hr and 15 min remaining. So it is really hard to say how long it last by looking at the battery meter in Windows 7.

Final Thoughts

The Nokia Booklet 3G is a well and beautiful designed netbook. I am not sure if the added GPS and accelerometer is worth the extra $200 compared to the competitor netbooks with similar or better specifications.

The performance of the netbook is great. The battery life is similar to the competitor netbooks. But we always need more power.

The Nokia Booklet 3G is available for $599 at the Nokia website. The United States carriers do not offer dual Sim cards, in which case you need to have a separate account with a Sim card network operator (T-Mobile, AT&T, etc) for a data connection.

We received a Kindle 2 with 3G  connection for the US from Amazon for review. A new US and International Wireless is now available as well.  E-readers are becoming more and more popular.  From e-reader applications on the desktop, mobile device to the stand alone devices like the Kindle 2 from Amazon.

This review will give you an impression of our experiences with the Kindle 2 from amazon. The Kindle 2 is the 6 inch screen version. The bigger Kindle DX has a 9,7 inch screen size. below is a quick difference reference guide.

Click for larger image

Unboxing

The Kindle 2 arrived in nice small box which was secured by packaging on 2 occasions. In the first place you could only open the carton box by removing/ripping off a strip like you would open up a FedEx envelop.

Click for larger image

Secondly the storage container inside the carton box had a similar strip that needed to be removed.

Click for larger image

Included in the box are:

1. Kindle 2
2. USB cable charger/connector
3. USB to US plug conversion power adapter
4. Quick get started reference guide

Click for larger imageClick for larger image

The Out Of The Box Experience

The Menu Button

• Turn Wireless Off (preserve battery power)
• Shop in the Kindle Store (this will get you live to the Kindle store to sample or purchase reading materials, wireless needs to be turned on)
• Search (search for items,dictionary,kindle store,wikipedia,google or web) Some basic web browsing will work.
• Settings (Registration, Device Name, Device E-mail, Personal Info)
• Experimental ( Basic Web, Play MP3, Text-to-Speech) Try it and let Kindle know if it is something they need to continue.
• Sync &Check for Items (this will update all your bookmarks, files that are synchronized to your account. For example if your Kindle reader for the IPhone is further into a document it will sync this to your Kindle as well)

• Go to the beginning
• Table of Contents
• Go to location
• Sync to last page
• Add bookmark
• Search
• Book Cover
• Add notes and Highlights
• And more…

Other  Hardware Buttons and Keyboard

Some other hardware buttons makes the navigation a breeze on the Kindle.

• Next Page – this will turn to your next page in your e-book
• Prev Page – this will turn back to your previous page in your e-book
• Back – this will turn back to your last screen throughout your navigation within the Kindle
• Qwerty Keyboard – physical hardware buttons to type your words in the different search options.
• 5-way Navigation Button – scroll through text- forward to next chapter-highlight text-main menu per title

The Kindle’s Screen

I have to say that it took a little getting used to reading on this small black and white tablet. But the opaque e-ink screen gives it a great same look as reading the actual book. What I did miss was the option for a backlight. But just as reading a regular book, it is easy to read the screen with low and high light surroundings.

The Kindle Shopping experience.

All the items listed in the Kindle shop have a fee. To access the shop you will select from the Home page the Menu button and you select “Shop in the Kindle Store”. This includes the Kindle versions of the Books, Newspapers, Magazines and, yes indeed, Blogs. With the 5-way navigation button and the search box it is easy to navigate through all the different tittles. In the books section you have an option to download “Try a Sample”. This will give you a small excerpt to see if you would like to buy the book in full digital format.

On your Amazon account you can manage your purchases. As well as your devices. For example I share the same account with my wife and we are both able to read the same book purchased once on two different devices. The Kindle and the Kindle reader for the iPhone or iTouch.

Deleting a book on your Kindle is very easy as well. On the home page you scroll down to the title you would like to delete using the 5-way navigation button. Once you are there your press the 5 way navigation to the left and select delete.

Experimental Web Browsing

The Kindle has a search with Google build in. This one of the ways to get to the experimental internet browser. The browser is very simple but could be useful for a quick look up.  Being used to many color screen on mobile devices it is not that attractive to browse on.

Conclusion

I really like the kindle to sit down and be able to read my books without dragging them around or have stacks of them laying around. The Kindle is a little pricey, but we will save some trees. The e-books are also cheaper compared to the real books. Most of them are $9.99. Similar priced to the soft cover versions. The battery life is very good.  It even gets better if you turn the wireless off.  The 5-way navigation button has so many different function per page that you kind have to experiment a little to know all the possibilities. I am not sure how the Kindle will work in a text book environment, but for reading a novel it is definitely now my first choice.

The Kindles are available on Amazon.com

• Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6″ Display, U.S. & International Wireless, Latest Generation) goes for $279
• Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6″ Display, U.S. Wireless, Latest Generation) goes for $259
• Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless, Latest Generation) goes for $489

Update: A question arised about extra possible charges for the wireless connection in your home country or outside your home country with the Latest generation wireless Kindle.  When slecting your specific country in the box “Live Outside the U.S.?” on the product page it will states the following.

Free Wireless: Free 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle. No monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots. For non-U.S. customers, there are also no additional charges for wireless delivery outside your home country.

]]> http://www.mobilityminded.com/4178/amazon-kindle-2-review-now-with-international-wireless/feed 12 http://www.mobilityminded.com/1287/mophie-juice-pack-air-for-iphone-reviewed http://www.mobilityminded.com/1287/mophie-juice-pack-air-for-iphone-reviewed#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:41:42 +0000 Paul Willen http://www.mobilityminded.com/?p=1287

Since I own my iPhone 3GS, I’ve only come up with one downside: Its battery life. When the day is long I really need to be careful not to use the iPhone a lot, because the battery might not make it through the whole day. The Morphie Juice Pack Air is a solution to this problem.

Extra Battery & Protective Case

The Morphie Juice Pack Air is not only an extra battery for your iPhone. It is also a protective case.
When you think about protective cases; you think of extra size and weight. And Yes, the Morphie Juice Pack Air adds weight and size to your iPhone. To put it in numbers here are the specifications of the dimensions:

Look & Feel

The Morphie Juice Pack Air consist out of 2 parts. The bottom part, in which you slide the iPhone, and the top part which keeps the case and the iPhone together

On top there is a free space for the headphones and the power-button. The right part has an opening for the mute and volume buttons.

On the bottom of the Juice pack there is a power-switch for the Morphie’s battery. If this is switched to “green” the iPhone gets charged via the Morphie. If this is switched to “red” the iPhone uses it’s own battery.
On the bottom left there is a USB-connector. This connector sadly is not the standard iPhone connector, but a specific connector from Morphie. The Morphie USB cable is included, but nevertheless I hoped they used a more standard cable and connector.

On the back there is an opening for the camera. On the bottom from the backside  there is an indicator button and 4 LED’s to show how full the Juice Pack Air is charged.

Added Battery capacity

The Juice Pack has an on- and off button. When the Juice Pack is turned “on” and the iPhone is in the Juice Pack the battery of the iPhone is charged untill 100%. When the iPhone’s battery reached 100% the power of the Juice Pack is used untill that battery is drained. After the battery of the Juice Pack is drained, the iPhones battery is used.

The battery capacity of the Morphie Juice Pack Air is 1200mAh. My experiences are that when I use the iPhone A LOT I can’t make it through the day with the built-in battery.
Now when I use the Morphie Juice Pack Air I let the battery of the iPhone drain to around 30%  when. This usually is around 4-5 PM. Then I turn on the Juice Pack Air. Now the iPhone will charge back to 100%. When the iPhone is back at 100% (usually around 70-90 minutes later) I have used a lot of the capacity of the Juice Pack Air (normally 1 or 0 LED’s light up when checking after a charge from 30-100 %).

This comes down to when it’s around 10 PM the iPhone is still charged for around 80%.

The Morphie Juice Pack Air really brings me more than enought battery capacity to make it though the day. Even when I use a lot of power, like a 3 hour wifi-skype conference call, the iPhone isn’t completly empty at the end of the day.

Thoughts & Wrap-up

To find out if the extra weight and size is acceptable to you, I would suggest to go to an Apple store that sells the Morphie Juice Pack Air and try out. I did too and realized that for me the extra weight and size is not as much as I expected. With the Morphie Juice Pack Air I really don’t have to worry anymore if the battery of the iPhone makes it through the day. I know that I have more than enough Juice with me.

In the last couple of years many different frequencies have been added to the confusion of the worldwide GSM (2G/Edge) and High Speed Data Networks (3G,HSDPA,UMTS) on cellular phones. Since we all love  to have the newest gadgets we would like to be one of the first. In the Windows Phone forums, where I moderate, many questions arise why my phone bought overseas is not connecting to the high speed data service in a specific country. Hopefully I will be able to guide you below to the answer and give you the specifics before you purchase your next Unlocked Phone to use at home or world wide.

Well, many mobile devices are specially engineered for the different markets around the world. For example the HTC Touch Pro and the HTC Fuze are exactly the same device, however the build in radio’s for the 3G / HSDPA data network are different. When you travel overseas you can loose this high speed data signal and fall back on the Edge/GSM/GPRS/ 2G network.  Many people like to purchase an unlocked phone overseas and bring it back to their home country and then they realize that the 3G / HSDPA radio’s build into the device are not supported.

Why high speed data?  The mobile phones these day are more like small personal computers. They are more and more being used now for streaming media content (Internet radio and TV), Internet browsing, etc. over the high speed data networks. You even see that other non-phone mobile devices will have 3G build in to give the device the opportunity to download information at high speeds when needed. For example the Kindle 2 and DX from Amazon and many Netbooks are sold now through the mobile phone service providers with the High Speed 3G / HSDPA data connection.

Many phones these days are called “World Phones”. These phone most likely will support the High Speed Data Networks (3G,HSDPA,UMTS) world wide. However I would still look at the specifications of these phones before you purchase and balance them to the network frequencies in the area you live.

The GSM (2G/Edge) frequencies are often called Quad Band Phones. Most phones will work worldwide using these 4 frequencies for making calls and limited data connection. These frequencies are:

GSM, 2G, GPRS,Edge network frequencies (Quad Band)

• 850 MHz   (mostly North America)
• 900 MHz   (mostly Europe, Asia, Australia & Brazil)
• 1800MHz  (mostly Europe, Asia, Australia & Brazil)
• 1900 MHz  (mostly North America)

Below is a small table giving you the frequencies in High Speed Data Networks (3G,HSDPA,UMTS) with their known regions that these frequencies will work. Use this to make sure the phone you will purchase will work with the high speed data frequency connections you need. Please note that you need a data subscription with your mobile provider carrier before you can have data on your device.

3G,HSDPA,UMTS high speed network frequencies and their regions.

• 850 MHz      (United States AT&T)
• 900 MHz
• 1700 MHz    (United States T-Mobile)
• 1900 MHz    (United States AT&T)
• 2100 MHz    (Europe)

There are many other resources online to see which frequencies you have in your area. These tools will allow you to make an educated decision which unlocked phone and where you would like to purchase it from and if it will provide the services you want to have in your part of the world.

• GSM Arena – Listings of frequencies per country
• Wikipedia – Listings of frequencies per world region
• AT&T – 3G coverage map
• T-Mobile  USA - 3G coverage map
• GSM World- Different world and world region frequency coverage maps

Today the developer of the Tweetie iPhone application published a blogpost about his new project: Tweetie 2.0.  Tweetie is one of the most popular paid iPhone twitter applications, mainly because Tweetie had a clean, no-nonsense interface.

The developer says about how his life changed after bringing the first version of Tweetie to the AppStore

A few people bought it. Then a few more bought it. Then I realized this App Store thing was actually pretty popular, and ($2.99 - 30%) x enough people = a living. So I dropped everything and devoted every working minute since to Tweetie.

In the last year the developer not only developed the Tweetie application for iPhone, but also the popular version for Mac OSX. This Mac OSX version is based on a twitter “core” called Bigbird.

Now, a few months after the release of Tweetie for Mac OSX, the developer brings this core to the iPhone with Tweetie 2.0

Tweetie 1 set a new standard for Twitter clients and iPhone apps in general. It proved that you didn’t have to sacrifice intuitiveness for functionality. Today we have iPhone OS 3.0, 3GS, and new Twitter APIs. Tweetie 2 is built from the ground up to take advantage of these fantastic new technologies.

Tweetie 2 will contain a lot more functionality than verison 1.

• Draft manager
• Link Twitter users to iPhone contacts
• Threaded conversations
• Support the new geotagging metadata coming soon from Twitter.
• Multiple attachments manager
• Full Landscape Support

Personally I think the best new feature will be the off-line mode.

Speaking of offline reading, there is also a fantastic offline mode. You can favorite, follow, block, add to Instapaper and more all while offline. Next time you connect, all of those actions will be synced back up.

The new version will not be an upgrade to the 1.x version of Tweetie but will be an application that needs a new purchase at the price of $2,99.  Personally I think it sounds very well and worth, but there really should be an option if you’ve just purchased Tweetie 1 a week ago.

A couple days ago we announced the availability of the Navigon North America Navigation software for the iPhone.

We have gotten a review copy for evaluation and below is my review of this easy to use Navigon North America Navigation for the iPhone.

Download and Installation

Be prepared for big download. When purchasing I suggest doing this in the iTunes store on your desktop or laptop with high speed internet connection. The app is going to to be 1.3 GB. The download itself will take some time as well. If you are like me and want to try new things right away this is a disappointment. However the file has this size because it has all the map data for North America, which includes the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For a succesfull installation I have to give a couple small tips.

Due to the large file to install on your iPhone it would be best to check first if you have the 1.3 GB space left over on your device. You can do this easily by connecting you iPhone to the iTunes on your computer. Once connected, click on the name of your device on the left hand side of the iTunes window. Now on the bottom of the screen you can see how much storage memory you have left over on your device.

The second thing you want to do first before going ahead and un-check the synchronization of Navigon and make sure that all your new podcast are downloaded to your computer and then are synchronized with your iPhone.  After you have done these 2 things your iPhone is just connected to your iTunes on your desktop and at the next synchronization it only needs to install the Navigon Software. So go ahead and check the box next to the Navigon application in the application tab under your phone name while your iPhone is connected to iTunes. Now click on “Sync” on the right bottom of the iTunes screen. Again due to the large file this will take some time before it is finished installing.

User interface and options

When starting the application it takes a couple of seconds to start up.

The first screen that shows up on your iPhone is a standard warning about using the navigation software.

After the above screen the Main Menu shows up. The Main Menu has 4 tabs.

From the Main Menu you can enter an address directly. Through this process it will let  you select the State first which is indicated with a country flagg right next to it. This is a great added feature so you don’t have to scroll through many same named cities or towns with different state codes behind them.

From the Main Menu you can also navigate to a POI (Point of Interest). This means if you need to find a bank, school, restaurant or anything else, you can use this function to find these POI in a city or nearby you current position

Another quick “Main Menu” item is to” Take me Home”. The first time you select this you are able to enter in your own home address and from that point on the “Take me Home” button will automatically calculate the route back to your home.

The last button in the “Main Menu” will show you the map. You can use your fingers to scroll through the map and to point a location you would like to navigate to.

The” Favorites” tab lets you quicky select your destinations you have marked as favorites.

Your “Recents” tab lets you select quickly the destinations you have entered last.

And your “Contacts” tab will look at your iPhone contacts and use the addresses enterered already within your Cotact fields.

Now that we are on our way you can use your Navigon navigation software in portrait mode or landscape.

If you have a red bar on the top of the screen it means that your internal GPS has no fix with the satellites. However with your iPhone in to a car mount in the windshield of your car you get a great fix and the time response in movement is as with any of the current stand alone Personal Navigation Devices. (PND). I prefer to use the ProClip USA mounting system for my on the dash mountings of my devices.

Within this current screen you can tap on the top bar of your screen and the info listed will rotate from:

1. Destination Time
2. Destination Milage /KM
3. Speedometer

Tapping on the bottom bar will rotate the info between:

1. Street name next turn
2. Street name current position

Tapping on the left box with the next turn notification will repeat the voice instructions for this information.

The “Options button”  on the right top will give the following options:

By tapping the middle of the screen while driving will give you a quick 2d view of your current location. However going back to to navigation screen with view into your driving direction (3D or 2D) you have to tap the “Done” button instead of tapping the screen again.

When you take a wrong turn the Navigon software will quickly recalculate a new route for you.

You can also adjust your settings to give you “Caution” warning when you are driving a certain speed over the speed limit. Could be handy for those unaware heavy foot people.

Experiences

Take a quick look at my live experiences with software below

This weekend I drove for about 8 hours in total using this Navigon navigation software for the iPhone and I have to say that this version can easily replace my Personal Navigation Device. However a limitation to the iPhone is multitasking. Once you leave the navigation software for some music or quick weather information. You have to restart the navigation system. It won’t keep running in the background.

Hopefully the future will allow you to pick up traffic information,weather information and search for new live POI’s within the software. Who ever has the iPhone has the data connection. Why not use the data connection to enrich the use of the Navigation Software?

Conclusion

The Navigon Navigation Software is the first proffesional navigation software for the iPhone comparable to the stand alone devices. The functions are slightly different from the stand alone devices, but this is the bestversion now available to have on your iPhone.

The Navigon MobileNavigator North America is on sale now for $69.99 in the App store until August 15. After that the price will go up to $99.99.

Navigon just announced yesterday that their iPhone GPS Navigation for North America is available in the app store. If you are not familiar with Navigon. I suggest you will.

The Navigon user interface was always attractive and very good on the Windows Mobile Phones and on their own Personal Navigation Devices. Now they have made the step to get this successful Navigation software on the iPhone as well. And they are in the app store before their biggest competition does.

The Navigon MobileNavigator North America is on sale now for $69.99 in the App store until August 15. After that the price will go up to $99.99.

The Navigon MobileNavigator Europe and Benelux LITE are already available in the App store. Check out the pictures and videos on the iPhoneclub.nl

We are lucky enough to receive a review copy. Stay tuned for our own review of the North American version of the Navigon MobileNavigator.

In the mean time read the press release and watch their promotional video.

NAVIGON Launches iPhone GPS Navigation for North America

First on-board iPhone solution from a major navigation company now available in the App Store

Hamburg/Germany, JULY 22, 2009 — NAVIGON AG, the leading innovator in the navigation market, today announced the availability of a North American version of its on-board navigation software in the iPhone App Store. The MobileNavigator transforms any iPhone 3G, equipped with the new Apple OS 3.0 operating system, and any iPhone 3G S into a complete navigation device.

Following its successful launch in Europe last month, NAVIGON is the first major navigation company to launch an on-board navigation solution for the iPhone in North America.  In more than ten European countries*, the app was ranked within the top three of all paid applications in the Apple Store in the first week.

Compared to off-board navigation, NAVIGON’s on-board approach has a clear advantage: After downloading the GPS application, the software and map data is saved directly on the device. This means that users don’t have to pay subscription fees or wait for map downloads during the navigation. The software includes many of NAVIGON’s hallmark navigation functions such as Reality View™ Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant and Day & Night Mode. It also features NAVIGON’s sophisticated and elegant map views including branded POIs along the route. NAVIGON will even add more features with software updates later this year. The only requirement for using the MobileNavigator on the iPhone is the new Apple OS 3.0 operating system.

“By making the MobileNavigator for the iPhone available for users in North America, we are taking another major step towards the future market of GPS navigation on mobile phones,” said Egon Minar, CEO of NAVIGON AG. “The combination of NAVIGON’s signature navigation features with typical functions from the iPhone creates an integrated and unique experience.” The map display, for example, switches automatically from­ portrait to landscape view as soon as the iPhone is turned 90 degrees. There is also the option of navigating directly to an address from saved contacts. If the iPhone is used for talking on the phone during navigation, the software resumes automatically after the call has ended. Furthermore, the multi touch function of the iPhone is integrated into the app and allows users to easily zoom in and out the map view with two fingers.

The NAVIGON solution sells for $99.99 and is equipped with maps of North America from NAVTEQ®. It will be available for a promotional price of $69.99 until August 15.

For more information and FAQs, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone. A video of the MobileNavigator for the iPhone can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/kq2a5q. You can also follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/NAVIGON_.

Key features of the NAVIGON MobileNavigator for the iPhone:

• Reality View™ Pro displays photo-realistic 3D views with actual road signs and lane guidance for virtually every highway interchange and exit drivers will encounter.
• Lane Assistant Pro helps drivers prepare to make an upcoming exit or turn by providing a lane map complete with arrows and actual road geometry.
• Speed Assistant with adjustable audio-visual warning.
• Day & Night Mode for map display.
• Direct Accessallows navigation to contacts saved in the iPhone’s address book.
• Branded POIs and POIs along the route
• 2D and 3D map view.
• Automatic switch between portrait and landscape format.
• Intelligent address entry.
• Real signpost display.

*Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland

About NAVIGON:

NAVIGON AG is a world-leading manufacturer of navigation systems. With its own portable navigation systems, and thanks to its partnership with reputable consumer electronics manufacturers, NAVIGON stands for high-quality GPS navigation on pocket PCs, PNDs and mobile phones. NAVIGON also provides professional navigation solutions such as driver-assistance features for the automotive OEM market. NAVIGON was founded in 1991, and employs over 400 workers in locations in Asia, Europe and North America. – NAVIGON. And the world is yours.

I was lucky last week to get my hands on the Samsung Propel Pro by AT&T last week. I mentioned in my other reviews that I still prefer the Non-Touch Windows Smart Phones over the Touchversions.  I really still like my Motorola Q9h a lot due to the form factor and feel of the keyboard and of course being a world phone. (HSDPA/3G across the globe).

The latest Windows non-Touch Phones that were released in recent months are the :

• Pantech Matrix Pro 
• Samsung Jack
• HTC Snap
• and The Samsung Propel

Below is my quick video and my impressions on the Samsung Propel Pro. ( I am working on a new camera with better close-up  focus. The Flip HD isn’t doing it).

All in all, I really like the slider function and the increased screen estate. The Samsung Propel Pro would definitely be a device I would carry around.

Any suggestions on a camera that would improve my picture ?

RIM (Research In Motion) just released a new model the Blackberry Tour. Right now the Blackberry Tour is available online with Verizon and Sprint for $199 with a 2 year contract. Verizon already has the Tour available in the stores.

The key features compared to some other Blackberries are:

• World Phone Capabilities
• Enhanced Multimedia
• 3.2MP Camera
• GPS and Blackberry Maps
• Slimmer 14.2 mm profile
• 256 MB built -in memory
• Voice Input & Output
• more

All in all the device feels good your hands and I love the keyboard with the trackball. But the features and specifications is what you would expect from any other phone these days. 

What I do miss is the Wifi capabilities. A lot of 3G enabled phones these days do come without Wifi. If you would live in a world where 3G is continuously available it would make sense, but that is still not the case. That is why I still prefer to have Wifi on board.

For current Blackberry users this will be an improvement and a good upgrade if you like the non-touch screen and QWERTY keyboard.

 Watch my quick Blackberry Tour video below to get a impression.

SPB Wallet has been around for a while on the desktop, Windows Mobile and Symbian phones. But as of June 24th this great sensitive data management application is also available for the iPhone.

Below is a short description of the SPB Wallet software from their press release which explains it best.

SPB Wallet AES 256-encrypts and password-protects all stored sensitive information. SPB Wallet supports automatic lockup, automatic clipboard cleanup, and protects from phishing. The stored data can be synchronized between (and accessed from) multiple PCs and mobile devices. The virtual, electronically stored licenses, cards, and passports look like the real ones: SPB Wallet 2.0 offers an integrated online database with images of thousands of most popular cards and documents, plus the option to order more custom pictograms – for free. The desktop component of SPB Wallet offers advanced integration with web browsers, automatic supply and capture of online login information, includes a password generator, and a migration wizard from custom CSV formats and from other wallet applications.

Importing existing data from another wallet application

I have been using a different wallet application for a while, and I didn’t wanted to retype all of my close to 300 entries all over again. The desktop application allows you to import the exported files from all major wallet applications that currently exist for the mobile devices.  I did an export and an import and my data is available in a separate folder in the SPB Wallet named after my previous wallet application. Now you just have to reorganize them if you want.

Synchronizing Desktop application with iPhone

On my previous wallet application,I could only synchronize the desktop information with my iPhone through a Wifi connection using the Bonjour sync application installed on my laptop.

The problem I had, is that I use the wallet application on my main desktop, which had no Wifi.
Thes following steps I had to follow to sync my desktop data with my iPhone.

- I had to sync my desktop version with my Windows Mobile device through active sync
- I Synced that Windows Mobile Device with the desktop application on my laptop which has Wifi
- Now I could sync my iPhone with my Laptop through Wifi and the Bonjour sync application.

SPB Wallet for iPhone came with a great solution for this. Besides syncing your desktop application and the iPhone together using Bonjour sync over Wifi, it also allows you the encrypted cloud synchronization with a Gmail account.

I currently am cloud syncing  now my data between two laptops and the iphone using a Google account with my own domain. To be able to sync in the cloud allows you not to be depended any more on different sync applications on the different platforms.

Key Features

Now that I have gone over the two major differences of the SPB Wallet application I will sum up the key features.  A lot of these features are also available on the competion applications, however SPB Wallet always adds a little bit extra.

• Secure Storage for sensitive information (string AES 256 Bit encryption, Automatic wallet locking)
• Cards look like those in your wallet
• Cards flip flow
• Online templates gallery with 7000+ most popular cards integrated into application
• Free template creation by request
• Password auto fill for websites in web browser
• Cards and templates are fully customizable
• Templates import, export and sharing
• 60+ predefined templates, icons and graphics
• Item level synchronization with support of multiple devices and desktops (cloud synchronization with Google Mailbox and desktop synchronization over Wifi with Bonjour sync
• Smart card fields allow taking action right from the wallet (open links, send e-mails, make phone calls and send text messages from the application)
• Password generator
• Quick search
• Compatible with Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile professional and Standard, Symbian S60 and Windows desktop
• Desktop specific (SPB Wallet toolbar and automatic password supply for Internet explorer and Firefox)
• Desktop import wizard from other Wallets (eWallet, FlexWallet, CodeWallet, SplashID, HandySafe and custom CSV)
• Desktop quick search
• Desktop backup and wallet in tray
• Desktop Drag & Drop for fields inot other apps

As you can see SPB Wallet has so many options to keep your data safe and avaialble to you on many devices. For me this is going to be the wallet application I will be using for now.

The SPB Wallet desktop version is available at the SPB website for $9.99
And the iPhone application is available for $9.99 at either the SPB website with a link to the App store.

Together this is under $20 and is $9 less compared to the Windows Mobile version. The price is very reasonable for a great useful and  needed application to securely manage all your sensitive information.

]]> http://www.mobilityminded.com/2211/spb-wallet-2-0-for-iphone-and-desktop-review/feed 10 http://www.mobilityminded.com/2056/gogo-iphone-3g-cases-reviewed http://www.mobilityminded.com/2056/gogo-iphone-3g-cases-reviewed#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:46:58 +0000 Johan van Mierlo http://www.mobilityminded.com/?p=2056

The Gogo iPhone 3G cases seemed very attractive to me when I saw them through one of the Facebook ads.

I contacted Gogo and asked them for some review samples of the Gradient, Handpainted and Royal series. They all looked appealing to me due to the snap on and slim looks of the cases.

I have to say I am not disappointed at all. The looks and the feel of the cases are great. As they proclaim the cases snap on, are slip free, scratch proof and the royal series are soft to the touch.

I had my worries for the hand painted version I received. The butterfly is hand painted onto the case and you can feel the raised paint on the case. I thought this would get scratched very easy . My wife has been using this case with pride and loves showing of the design and the craftsmanship to her friends. The case really adds some flare to the iPhone. The hand painted butterfly shows no scratches on the paint after extended time of use.

All the three cases don’t add much weight or volume at all and gives it a good feel in your hands.

Of all the cases I have tried and used ,the Gogo case is now my case of preference.

The Gogo cases are priced between $24.99 and $29.99. If you want more then one case they sell them in bundles as well.  Bundles are priced between $29.99 and $34.99, and that is a great deal.

Below is a small video showing the ease of putting on and removing the case.

Yesterday we got a nice note in from our MobilityMinded AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro winner Pierre Aterianus.

Below is a quote that he wanted to share with us.

Here’s a picture of me enjoying my new AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro which I won in your recent online contest. Sure is nice having a pop-out full qwerty keypad to answe my messages. The screen is reallysharp, Windows 6.1 and a 3G network,wow.

Sincerely,

Pierre Aterianus.

These are the kind of e-mails I like seeing. Thank you again to AT&T and Pantech for allowing us to have this contest.

The Pantech Matrix Pro is available  for $99 with a two year subscription (after rebate) at the AT&T website.

Last week we received the new AT&T Samsung Jack Windows Mobile 6.1 device. My previous article has a quick unbox-video to see what is in the box. It is currently only available through AT&T for $99 with a two year contract and a $100 rebate.

Below is my review video with my impressions of the new AT&T Samsung Jack .

A couple of great features I forgot to mention in the video are listed here:

• Quick dedicated access buttons for GPS, Silent Profile, Camera, and Mail
• Extra Camera features like Smile Shot and Mosaic Shot
• Tap and hold the home button will bring up your task manager.
• lighted keyboard

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVC4sWNbCSY

If you are ready for an upgrade with AT&T and you don’t have a Windows Mobile Device yet, I would highly recommend this AT&T Samsung Jack at a current price of  $99 with a two year contract and a $100 rebate. According to Samsung this device will be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5 when it comes out. However the upgrade has to come from the provider. In this case this is AT&T.

More information and specifications are available on the Samsung Jack website

Many of you travel a lot and most of the time you should be able to connect through a Hotspot or Wifi network to read your email, surf the web or catch up with Twitter. Recently, when traveling to Sweden, I already found out that there was no Hotspot or Wifi service at the park we were staying. As I have a Dutch carrier, roaming costs were quite high if I used it in Sweden. The average price is around 10 Euros per Megabyte. With these prices you have to be very careful what you do, otherwise you are not happy when you receive your monthly bill…

So I had to find an alternative and after some research I found out that Telia has a very good mobile data service for a very fair price.
For my situation it should be ideal: I can use the simcard in my phone(s) or in my notebook and I can use it anywhere in Sweden !

It is called Telia Mobilt bredband Veckosurf and it allows you to surf the web for one week for 10 Euros. There is a datalimit of 2 GB per week, so it is perfect for checking mail, surfing the web and even download a small movie or upload your holiday pictures to the cloud.

If you happen to go to Sweden and need mobile data, you need to do this:

1. Buy a Telia Refill Prepaid card for 100 KR (10 euros)
2. Register it here: LINK (you need someone from Sweden with a Swedish social security number for this). Also enter the phone number of the prepaid card and the ICC number. Sometimes this website is down. Just call 90200 to have the card activated by a representative.
3. Buy the desired prepaid amount you would like to load to the card. 10 euro is enough for one week.
4. When you have the code press *125*prepaidcode# on your handset.
5. You receive a textmessage from 3182 which welcomes you to the Telia network and if you need more info on the prices you can dial 454.
6. Now send a text message to 4466 with the word ON in it.
7. After a short while you receive a text message from 4466 that the internet service Telia Online is now activated and can be used. I received another text message from 4466 right after the first one that my phone was not supported, but I had no problems at all connecting to the internet with my G1.
8. Configure your phone or laptop with the APN: online.telia.se without a username or password.
9. You can surf the web now !

Coverage of the Telia network is very good. On my way to the airport I did a mobile speedtest and the downloadspeed was 1.1 Mbit.
You can find a coveragemap here: LINK

Starting on the 15th of April an AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro will be given away daily on one of the 26 sites. We at MobilityMinded are happy to announce that we will holding a contest on April 29th for an AT&T Matrix Pro.

I have been using the AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro for quite a while, and it it a great small, fast 3G/HSDPA, handy Windows Mobile 6.1 device.  In my my previous post I give some of my experiences with this great device.

Unfortunate this contest will only be open to US Residents since the give away package is US Package only.

The Prize is an AT&T Matrix Pro, plus a US $100 gift card you can use add to your account.

More information on the Matrix Pro is available on the AT&T website and a video right here:

Please subscribe to our MobilityMinded Twitter and RSS news feed to stay up to date when we and others will have their contest. So stay tuned to all the sites below and you can enter at all these site specific competitions to win the AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro package.

Following below is a list a participating websites and their competitions dates:

Tools for Thought (15-Apr 19-Apr)
ChipChick (16-Apr 20-Apr)
VivirLatino (17-Apr 21-Apr)
slashgear.com (18-Apr 22-Apr)
www.modaco.com (19-Apr 23-Apr)
Gadgetell (20-Apr 24-Apr)
GeeksRoom (21-Apr 25-Apr)
OSNN (22-Apr 26-Apr)
Techmamas (23-Apr 27-Apr)
Clintonfitch (24-Apr 28-Apr)
Justanothermobilemonday (25-Apr 29-Apr)
Geek.com (26-Apr 30-Apr)
MediaBlab (27-Apr 01-May)
Smartphonethoughts (28-Apr 02-May)
Mobilityminded (29-Apr 03-May)
The Gadgeteer (30-Apr 04-May)
Geekzone (01-May 05-May)
Techie Diva (02-May 06-May)
Bostonpocketpc (03-May 07-May)
GearDiary (04-May 08-May)
MobilitySite (05-May 09-May)
AbsoluteWindows (06-May 10-May)
Mobilejaw (07-May 11-May)
Experiencemobility (08-May 12-May)
HackCollege (09-May 13-May)
Gear Live (10-May 14-May)