Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 2: Now with widgety goodness]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/20/opera-mobile-9-5-beta-2-now-with-widgety-goodness/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/20/opera-mobile-9-5-beta-2-now-with-widgety-goodness/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/20/opera-mobile-9-5-beta-2-now-with-widgety-goodness/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Opera 9.5 beta widgetsOpera has released the second public beta of Opera Mobile 9.5. There are two major changes since the last beta release. First, Opera Mobile 9.5 is available for Symbia UIQ as well as Windows Mobile devices. And second, the browser now supports Opera Widgets.

Widgets for mobile devices don't necessarily work the same way as widgets on a full sized computer. You can't fit a bunch of widgets on a 2 or 3 inch screen at the same time the way you can with desktop widgets. So what exactly is an Opera Mobile Widget?

Basically, it's a one-click web application. Rather than launching your mobile web browser and navigating to a page, you can click a widget icon and access a web page or application designed to work well with the Opera Mobile browser. Right now there 5 widgets available, including a clock, weather app, and Twitter application. The advantage of using widgets instead of bookmarks is that you can save the icons on your home screen or in a widget directory and you can access them with a single click.

Opera Mobile 9.5 also features the ability to view the full desktop version of web pages or zoom in for a closer look, much as you can do with Safari for the iPhone or the Google Android web browser.

The browser is free while in beta. No word on when the final version will be released, but there's a good chance that it will cost about $30 when it is available. That's the price Opera typically charges for its mobile browser. Of course, if Mozilla manages to push out Firefox mobile before then, Opera might feel the need to drop the price a bit.

Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 2: Now with widgety goodness originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mobile-browseropera-mobileopera-mobile-9.5opera-mobile-9.5-beta-2Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First look at the T-Mobile G1 Google Android Phone]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/17/first-look-at-the-t-mobile-g1-google-android-phone/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/17/first-look-at-the-t-mobile-g1-google-android-phone/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/17/first-look-at-the-t-mobile-g1-google-android-phone/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


So I don't know if you've heard, but apparently there's this company named Google. And apparently they've developed some sort of a mobile phone operating system that features tight integration with online services like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk. And you can't get one just yet, so we decided to talk to someone who did.

Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun has been testing a T-Mobile G1 for the last few days. When it hits the shelves next week, the G1 will be the first device on the market based on the Google Android platform. Tofel says there's a lot to like about the G1, but there are still a few things that annoy him.

And most importantly, the platform will only succeed if Google can do a good job of attracting third party developers. The built in applications work very well, but there are still too many things missing. For example, while you can watch YouTube movies using the YouTube player, there's no video play for watching downloaded movies or videos from other web sites. Fortunately there's already a third party movie player available in the Android Marketplace. But that's one of only a handful of third party apps currently available.

You can see the phone in action and hear more of Kevin's thoughts by clicking the video above. If you're too busy to sit through a ten minute video, you can read some of the highlights after the jump.

Continue reading First look at the T-Mobile G1 Google Android Phone

First look at the T-Mobile G1 Google Android Phone originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidcellphoneg1google-androidhtc-dreamHtcDreammobilet-mobile-g1Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox Mobile Alpha coming in "a few weeks"]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/06/firefox-mobile-alpha-coming-in-a-few-weeks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/06/firefox-mobile-alpha-coming-in-a-few-weeks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/06/firefox-mobile-alpha-coming-in-a-few-weeks/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Firefox Mobile
Mozilla CEO says the first Alpha version of Firefox Mobile will be available in a few weeks. That's pretty exciting. But I wouldn't read too much into it at the moment.

It's not clear exactly what devices or operating systems will be supported by the early Alpha. Pre-alpha releases of the browser, code-named Fennec, are already available. But at the moment, they only run on the Nokia N810 internet tablet. The N810 is a pretty cool little device, but it's not as ubiquitous as say, Windows Mobile or Symbian powered cellphones.

Mozilla does plan to make a Windows Mobile version of Firefox Mobile available. I just don't know whether we'll see that version in a few weeks when Fennec hits alpha.

[via Gizmodo]

Firefox Mobile Alpha coming in "a few weeks" originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphafennecfirefox-mobileMon, 06 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft kills Deepfish mobile browser project]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/02/microsoft-kills-deepfish-mobile-browser-project/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/02/microsoft-kills-deepfish-mobile-browser-project/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/02/microsoft-kills-deepfish-mobile-browser-project/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

DeepfishA year and a half after introducing an innovative web browser for Windows Mobile, Microsoft is killing the project. Back before there was an Opera Mini 4 or an iPhone version of Safari, the Deepfish web browser offered a way to display full desktop views of web pages on a tiny browser, allowing you to zoom in on the area you want to read.

The browser was developed by the Microsfot Live Labs team and was never released to the general public. But I wouldn't be surprised if some Deepfish code has found its way into the upcoming Internet Explorer Mobile 6.

In a blog post, the developers behind Deepfish say the goal was never to build a complete browser, but rather to show that an innovative user interface could make for better mobile browsing. The team also implies that Deepfish helped inspire the development of full desktop views in other browsers like Safari, Opera Mini, and Opera Mobile.

You can check out a video shot early last year of Deepfish in action after the jump.

[via jkOnTheRun and My Today Screen]

Continue reading Microsoft kills Deepfish mobile browser project

Microsoft kills Deepfish mobile browser project originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deepfishmobile-browseropera-miniopera-mobilesafariThu, 02 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft launches Phone Data Manager Beta]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/29/microsoft-launches-phone-data-manager-beta/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/29/microsoft-launches-phone-data-manager-beta/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/29/microsoft-launches-phone-data-manager-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Microsoft Phone Data Manager
Microsoft has launched a new beta of an application for synchronizing data from cellphones with your computer. There are at least two things which set the new Phone Data Manager apart from earlier synchronization applications like ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Manager:
  1. Phone Data Manager Beta works with non-Windows Mobile devices. There's a fairly lengthy list of supported devices including a number of Sony ericsson, Nokia, and Motorola devices.
  2. The new utility syncs your data with Windows Live Services. That means your contacts, music, videos, and photos will be accessible online from any computer with a web browser.
You can sync your phone by connecting it to your Windows XP or Vista computer via a Bluetooth or USB connection.

[via Pocket PC Thoughts]

Microsoft launches Phone Data Manager Beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cellphonemobilephone-data-managerMon, 29 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[3 Mobile Web Apps that keep old Pocket PCs relevant]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/3-mobile-web-apps-that-keep-old-pocket-pcs-relevant/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/3-mobile-web-apps-that-keep-old-pocket-pcs-relevant/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/3-mobile-web-apps-that-keep-old-pocket-pcs-relevant/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

My iPaq might be two and a half years old, but it's got a thumboard and WiFi. While that might not count for much, it's enough to let me rock on with three mobile web apps that have allowed me to stick with Old Faithful instead of springing for a new device.

What are they? Gmail, Google Reader, and Ping.Fm Mobile.

The three things I really want to be able to do with my handheld are check and send email, read my RSS feeds, and update my status on sites like Twitter, Plurk, etc. I am, however, terrible at remembering to keep my iPaq docked and charged, and I'm not good at saving my favorite mobile app installers when I reformat my base PC.

All of which means that I need three simple apps that will run well on a freshly booted, totally naked Pocket PC 2003 install with clunky old Pocket Internet Explorer.

These three have never let me down. They're all formatted nicely for my vertical QVGA screen and stripped of any annoying elements that mess with rendering. What's more, I can follow Brad's advice and have all three open in tabs at the same time.

Gmail is great with a thumboard, and way better than texting from my cell. Reader does an excellent job of reformatting all my feeds so that they're easily readable. Using Ping.Fm means I don't have to worry about whether or not sites like Plurk, Rejaw, or Pownce will function on the iPaq. One simple form updates them all for me. Rad.

These three must haves - along with the basic PIM and media functions that Pocket PC 2003 came with - are enough to keep me productive, even with a handheld that's woefully out of date by today's standards.

3 Mobile Web Apps that keep old Pocket PCs relevant originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>handheldipaqpocket pc 2003pocketpcPocketPc2003Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mobile Productivity the Mario Way - With A Nintendo DS!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/mobile-productivity-the-mario-way-with-a-nintendo-ds/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/mobile-productivity-the-mario-way-with-a-nintendo-ds/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/mobile-productivity-the-mario-way-with-a-nintendo-ds/#commentsFiled under: ,

With a toddler and a 6 hour drive to the nearest major center to consider, purchasing an iPod touch wasn't really one of my options. However, because my little guy loves Mario it was easy for me to justify buying a shared Nintendo DS for "the family."

Now - thanks to an ambitious homebrew community - my favorite gaming addiction has become an incredibly useful productivity tool. With a $35 transflash adapter and a $40 4gb SDHC card you'll be amazed at what you can do with your DS.

What can you do with it?

  1. Twitter - Yes, the first stop on our list is everyone's favorite (and simultaneously most hated) microblog. Still, it's everywhere, and that now includes your DS. The developer of DSTwitter is Spanish, so at least a cursory knowledge of the language is helpful. It's easy enough to get set up and it works very well.

  2. Get Organized - There's a touchpad. There's just as much screen area as most PocketPC and Palm devices. Why can't the DS be a PIM, too? DragonMinded's DSOrganize is an incredible suite, combining a calendar, address book, to-do list, scratch pad, calculator, file browser and reader, media player, audio recorder, IRC client, and web browser. I've only really ever used basic functions in apps like this, but DSOrganize works just as well for me as anything on my PocketPC did.

Continue reading Mobile Productivity the Mario Way - With A Nintendo DS!

Mobile Productivity the Mario Way - With A Nintendo DS! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-iphonenintendo-dsFri, 29 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-iPhone day at Download Squad]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/anti-iphone-day-at-download-squad/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/anti-iphone-day-at-download-squad/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/29/anti-iphone-day-at-download-squad/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

FreeStylWMThe iPhone gets a lot of attention these days, and rightly so. It's an attractive phone/media player with a beautiful interface. And Apple brought the idea of an innovative finger-friendly multi-touch display to the masses. But you know what? The iPhone isn't for everyone. There are plenty of things it can't do, or that you can do better with another device. And while the price of the phone continues to drop, you have to pay a rather pricey phone bill every month if you really want to make use of the phone.

With that in mind, Download Squad brings you anti-iPhone day. Throughout the day, we'll be looking at alternatives to the iPhone. To kick things off, I wanted to review some of the posts of DLS past that have already shown that there's little you can do with an iPhone that you can't already do with a Wndows Mobile-based phone.

Program Launchers

Somewhere between the time when Steve Jobs first demoed the iPhone and the day it actually hit the shelves, third party developers decided it would be cool to create an iPhone-like interface for Windows Mobile. Probably the most interesting project is FreeStyleWM, which started out its life as WhoNeedsAniPhone.

But not every third party developer wanted to replicate the iPhone interface. Some were just inspired enough to go out and create their own easy to use, finger-friendly program launchers and other applications. Thus GoodWin and iSwish were born.

Meanwhile, before the iPhone was even threatening your pocketbook, folks were puting out software that takes Windows Mobile and makes it feel like an entirely different operating system. Over a year ago, we brought you a roundup of applications designed to make Windows Mobile look and feel a bit more like Windows XP or Vista.

Continue reading Anti-iPhone day at Download Squad

Anti-iPhone day at Download Squad originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-iphonecoreplayerfreestylwmgoodwingsplayeriphoneiswishmortplayeroperaopera-mobile-9.5safaritcpmpwindows-mobileFri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Privus Mobile - try before you buy]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/08/privus-mobile-try-before-you-buy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/08/privus-mobile-try-before-you-buy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/08/privus-mobile-try-before-you-buy/#commentsFiled under: ,

Caller IDPrivus Mobile is a nifty new program for Windows Mobile and RIM phones that gives you a more traditional caller ID experience. Instead of just seeing the names of people already in your phone book it gives you the name associated with any number calling.

Or at least, it's supposed to. I downloaded the app on my AT&T Pantech Duo phone and had a few people call me from random phones that were not already in my phone book. Just like any other time, all I saw was the phone number calling. Fellow Download Squadder Christina Warren added the software to her phone and also didn't have any luck knowing it was me when I called her.

You can download the free three day trial or pay $24.95 for three months of service. If you're interested in this bit of technology, I'd definitely try it before signing up for the paid service. And have lots of people call you to see how it works for you. Maybe you will be more lucky than I was.

You could just do what I do. Answer calls from your friends and anyone local. Ignore the rest!

Privus Mobile - try before you buy originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>caller-idprivus-mobileFri, 08 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Record, edit, and mix audio on the go with MeTeoR for Windows Mobile]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/06/record-edit-and-mix-audio-on-the-go-with-meteor-for-windows-mo/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/06/record-edit-and-mix-audio-on-the-go-with-meteor-for-windows-mo/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/06/record-edit-and-mix-audio-on-the-go-with-meteor-for-windows-mo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MeTeoRMeTeoR is a multi-track digital audio workstation (DAW) designed for Windows Mobile. It has all the basic features you'd expect from a full-fledged desktop DAW like Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, or Reaper. But it runs on Windows Mobile.

That means it's not going to be quite as fast or efficient at applying effects or mixing down large projects as the big guys. But here's a little secret. While most people use their cellphones and PDAs to do things like make phone calls and track appointments, many modern phones have more processing power than a computer from 10 years ago. And there's been decent digital audio editing software for PCs for much longer than 10 years. Now when somebody shows me a good digital video editing package for Windows Mobile I'll be surprised.

MeTeoR has a multi-track recorder plus windows for editing wave forms, mixing audio levels and pan settings, and importing audio. You can also add several effects including reverb and EQ effects. The full program costs $29.95, but there's a free trial available.

The program works with Windows Mobile 2003 and newer devices. A 400MHz or faster processor is recommended.

[via Create Digital Music]

Record, edit, and mix audio on the go with MeTeoR for Windows Mobile originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audio-editingdawdigital-audio-editingdigital-audio-workstationmeteorWed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SlyDial: Leave voicemail without actually having to talk to anyone]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/22/slydial-leave-voicemail-without-actually-having-to-talk-to-anyo/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/22/slydial-leave-voicemail-without-actually-having-to-talk-to-anyo/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/22/slydial-leave-voicemail-without-actually-having-to-talk-to-anyo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It's 2am and you really, really, really need to get in touch with your significant other to let them know how sorry you are about the thing you said earlier that night. But you're a bit tipsy, and they're probably asleep and you don't want to wake them up. So what do you do? Make a call that goes directly to voicemail of course. Because nothing says "I'm sorry babe," like a rambling voicemail message. And that's where slydial can help.

Slydial lets you make a call to any landline or cellphone number in the US and go straight to voicemail. Just call 267-slydial (that's a Pennsylvania area code, in case anyone was wondering), and while listening to the somewhat amusing, somewhat offensive introduction, just enter the number of the person you want to call. Slydial will play a rather obnoxious ad and then connect you to the voicemail. The person you're calling will then get a missed call and/or voicemail message, but their phone will never ring. It's sort of like sending a text message. But with voice. And without the SMS fees.

If you want to avoid the obnoxious advertisement part of the equation, you can also register for an account and pay $.15 per call or $4.95 a month for unlimited calls. You know, in case you like to leave a *lot* of voicemails, but can't stand actually speaking with people in real-time.

[via Webware]

SlyDial: Leave voicemail without actually having to talk to anyone originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>slydialtelephonyvoicemailTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Make your movies mobile with DVD Catalyst Free]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/21/make-your-movies-mobile-with-dvd-catalyst-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/21/make-your-movies-mobile-with-dvd-catalyst-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/21/make-your-movies-mobile-with-dvd-catalyst-free/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

DVD Catalyst
Want to watch your DVD collection on your iPod, iPhone, PSP, Smartphone, PDA, or Zune? DVD Catalyst is a simple Windows application that can rip a 2 hour movie from your DVD and apply video compression so that the file fits on your portable device's storage card and still looks halfway decent on your mobile screen.

DVD Catalyst offers one-click DVD ripping and encoding. Just launch the program, select your portable device, slide a DVD into your disc drive, and click the little green button. The program will choose the best resolution, bit rate, and other settings for you.

Up until recently, only a commercial version of DVD Catalyst was available. But now there's a free version with a limited feature set. If you want advanced features like the ability to set 2-pass conversions, split videos into multiple parts, or adjust the volume and framerates, you might want to shell out $15 to $20 for a full version. But if you're looking for a quick and easy way to cram a few dozen DVD movies on your iPod, DVD Catalyst Free might be all you need.

[via Palm InfoCenter]

Make your movies mobile with DVD Catalyst Free originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>compressiondvddvd-catalystdvd-catalyst-freeencoderipMon, 21 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Opera Mobile 9.5 beta released]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/17/opera-mobile-9-5-beta-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/17/opera-mobile-9-5-beta-released/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/17/opera-mobile-9-5-beta-released/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Opera Mobile 9.5 betaOpera Mobile 9.5 beta is out today, and it's already the slickest web browser available for Windows Mobile devices. Opera has always been faster than Pocket Internet Explorer at quickly rendering web pages, but Opera Mobile 9.5 beta does a far better job of displaying web pages quickly and accurately than the last stable version, Opera Mobile 8.65.

Probably the most dramatic difference between Opera Mobile 9.5 beta and earlier versions of the software is the support for full desktop page views. In other words, you can see a complete web page pretty much exactly as you would on a desktop. Of course, most web sites aren't designed for cellphones and PDAs with screens as small as 320 x 240 pixels. So The text is pretty much unreadable in this view. But you can drag and drop the screen to find the portion you want to read and a little double click action zooms in and makes the text nice and readable. In other words, Opera Mobile 9.5 beta works a lot like the Safari browser on the iPhone.

The updated browser is also designed to make the most of your device's screen real estate. By default, Opera functions in full screen mode, with no toolbars at the top or bottom of your page. If you need to switch tabs, enter a URL, or hit the back button, you just tap on a small, semi-transparent arrow that hangs out near the bottom of your screen to bring up a menu.

Opera Mobile 9.5 is still in beta, and there are a few known issues. For example, one of the biggest improvements Opera has planned is support for Flash Lite 3 which will allow users to view YouTube movies and other Flash video content. But ActiveX is disabled in this beta release, and that means Flash plugins are disabled and embedded video streams will not play.

Opera Mobile 9.5 is available for free while in beta, and is designed for Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 6. You should also make sure to install the browser to your device's main memory, as Opera reports that installing to a memory card could cause problems.

Opera Mobile 9.5 beta released originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mobile-browseropera-mobileopera-mobile-9.5opera-mobile-9.5-betaweb-browserThu, 17 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FriendMobilizer: Facebook client for Windows Mobile]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/04/friendmobilizer-facebook-client-for-windows-mobile/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/04/friendmobilizer-facebook-client-for-windows-mobile/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/04/friendmobilizer-facebook-client-for-windows-mobile/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

FriendMobilizer
Are you scared to leave the house because you're worried that someone might poke you, turn you into a zombie or ask you to compare your taste in books while you're out and you'll miss it? FriendMobilizer is a Facebook application for Windows Mobile that gives you access to some of the most frequently used portions of Facebook when you're away from a computer.

You can use the app to:
  • Receive and respond to notifications and inbox messages
  • Browse photo albums
  • Write on walls
  • Update your status
FriendMobilizer is free but it won't work on all Windows Mobile devices. You need to have Windows Mobile 6 or higher and you need to install the program to your device's main memory, not to a storage card. You also need to provide a phone number to register, which rules out classice PDA-style devices.

[via the::unwired]

FriendMobilizer: Facebook client for Windows Mobile originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfriendmobilizerwindows-mobile-6Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Opera Mobile 9.5 coming July 15]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/26/opera-mobile-9-5-coming-july-15/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/26/opera-mobile-9-5-coming-july-15/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/26/opera-mobile-9-5-coming-july-15/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Opera Mobile 9.5
Opera's been working on its next generation mobile web browser for months now. And while a handful of folks have been able to get their hands on devices preloaded with Opera Mobile 9.5, most of us have been waiting impatiently to get our hands the downloadable version.

While Opera might not have much market share in the desktop browser space, the company's mobile browser is miles ahead of the browsers that come standard with most Windows Mobile, Symbian, or other cellphones. Opera Mini and Opera Mobile 8.65 are already some of the best mobile browsers around. Opera Mobile 9.5 adds Flash Lite 3 support, quicker page rendering, full page zoom, a password manager, and the ability to copy and paste text selections.

Today the Opera Mobile team announced that the first public beta version of Opera Mobile 9.5 will be available for download on July 15th. If history is anything to go by, Opera will probably charge somewhere between $20 and $30 for this browser eventually. But while in beta, the browser will be free.

[via jkOnTheRun]

Opera Mobile 9.5 coming July 15 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>operaopera-mobileopera-mobile-9.5Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nokia buys out Symbian, announces platform to go open source]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/24/nokia-buys-out-symbian-announces-platform-to-go-open-source/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/24/nokia-buys-out-symbian-announces-platform-to-go-open-source/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/24/nokia-buys-out-symbian-announces-platform-to-go-open-source/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

SymbianNokia has announced that it is buying out the 52 percent of Symbian that it didn't already own and opening up the platform. Nokia and a number of other companies including AT&T, LG, and Samsung have also announced the creation of the Symbian Foundation.

Now, open source software is great for developers because it mean that anyone can easily look at the code, tweak it, and write applications designed to run well on the platform. But ther's also a huge benefit for telecom companies. Nokia will provide access to the Symbian OS royalty-free to members of the Symbian Foundation. And anyone can join the foundation for a nominal $1500 annual fee.

Symbian currently has about 60 percent of the mobile browser market share. The move to make the platform open source should help Nokia and Symbian maintain that lead in the face of challenges from the LiMo Foundation and Google's Linux-based Android platform.

[via OStatic]

Nokia buys out Symbian, announces platform to go open source originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nokiaopen-sourcesymbiansymbian-osTue, 24 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[AOL released updated instant messenger for Windows Mobile]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/23/aol-released-updated-instant-messenger-for-windows-mobile/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/23/aol-released-updated-instant-messenger-for-windows-mobile/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/23/aol-released-updated-instant-messenger-for-windows-mobile/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

AIM WMIt's been a while since AOL launched an updated version if its instant messenger for Windows Mobile. The new version is still in beta, but it has some nifty features that make it worth checking out. The first thing you'll notice is that the interface is much more attractive. But it's also more useful.

When you first login you're greeted with a buddy list. You can double tap on any contact to enter a chat window. After you've initiated a chat you can flip back to your buddy list knowing that you'll be able to see all open chats and any new messages in the sidebar that now pops up.

You can also manage your buddy list from the client. And the settings menu has a nice array of options letting you customize your notification, conversation, and privacy settings.

This beta supports devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 and 6.

[via The Boy Genius Report]

AOL released updated instant messenger for Windows Mobile originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aimaolaol-instant-messengerIMinstant-messengerwindows-mobileMon, 23 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla shows off Firefox Mobile interface concept - Video]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/11/mozilla-shows-off-firefox-mobile-interface-concept-video/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/11/mozilla-shows-off-firefox-mobile-interface-concept-video/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/11/mozilla-shows-off-firefox-mobile-interface-concept-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Firefox Mobile Concept Video from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Want to know what the upcoming Firefox Mobile web browser will look like? So do we. And the video above may or may not give us an idea. Aza Raskin, the head of user experience for Mozilla describes the concept interface shown in the video as a "conceptual mockup" of an "experimental UI." In other words, there's no gaurantee that the final version of Firefox Mobile will bear any resemblance to the concept. But then again, it might look exactly like this.

In a nutshell, the concept UI shares some features with Firefox 3, including tabbed browsing and the "awesome bar," which shows you results from your browsing history when you enter a URL. But there are a few aspects that have been designed with mobile devices in mind:
  • You can navigate a page by clicking and dragging it. There are no scrollbars, which means more screen real estate.
  • There are also no back, forward, refresh, or other buttons on the main screen. The web page takes up the whole screen.
  • You can find navigation buttons by dragging the screen to the right, which brings up a series of buttons on the left side of the screen, including back, forward, bookmark, and page info.
  • You minimize a window by dragging it to the left or right and clicking the zoom button. You can then navigate between open tabs or open a new one.
  • When you reach the bottom of a web page, there will be buttons for performing specific functions like submitting a page to Digg or del.icio.us or mapping an address found on a web page
Want to try the user interface yourself? There's a web-based demo available. And the code is open source if you want to check it out or contribute to the project.
[via Mozilla Labs]

Mozilla shows off Firefox Mobile interface concept - Video originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firefoxfirefox-mobileWed, 11 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Spb Backup 2.0: Better back for your Windows Mobile device]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/10/spb-backup-2-0-better-back-for-your-windows-mobile-device/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/10/spb-backup-2-0-better-back-for-your-windows-mobile-device/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/10/spb-backup-2-0-better-back-for-your-windows-mobile-device/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Spb Backup 2.0 Spb Software House has released an updated version of the company's popular Spb Backup utility for Windows Mobile phones and PDAs. While most Windows Mobile devices come with some sort of backup software, Spb has a few features that sets it apart, like the ability to create automatic scheduled backups and self-extracting backups that can be restored without installing Spb Backup first.

The new version includes:
  • Support for device and ROM upgrades
  • Smartphone version
  • A file-black-list for files to ignore
Spb is also including desktop software that lets you manage backups on your PC and explore the contents of backup files.

Spb Backup 2.0 is compatible with Windows Mobile 2003 and newer devices with VGA and QVGA screens. There's a 5 day free trial available, but a full license will set you back $24.95. Current users can upgrade for $9.95. If you purchased Spb Backup in the last 90 days, you can upgrade for free.

Spb Backup 2.0: Better back for your Windows Mobile device originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupspb-backupspb-backup-2.0windows-mobileTue, 10 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft releases SideShow beta app for Windows Mobile]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/04/microsoft-releases-sideshow-beta-app-for-windows-mobile/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/04/microsoft-releases-sideshow-beta-app-for-windows-mobile/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/04/microsoft-releases-sideshow-beta-app-for-windows-mobile/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Windows Sideshow mobile previewOne of the coolest, and least frequently used, features in Windows Vista is Windows SideShow. Essentially this is a service that lets a computer running Windows Vista communicate with a handful of electronic devices like a media center remote control or an LCD screen. In other words, you can use a remote control to browse and control music playlists on your PC even when your monitor is off.

We've been expecting Microsoft to develop software that would let you use your Windows Mobile phone or PDA as a SideShow device pretty much since the first time we heard about this technology. Last year we even got a hint that a Windows Mobile client was coming. But it wasn't until this week that Microsoft finally released something, in the form of a beta release. And when we say beta, we mean it. Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile is listed as a 0.01 release.

Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile works on Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices that use the Microsoft Bluetooth stack. WiFi and 3G are not supported. If you've got a device that meets the requirements, you can use your PDA or phone to access information on your PC and control some PC functions from your device. For example, you can check the weather, read your email, control media playback, or use your device as a PowerPoint remote control.

[via the::unwired]

Microsoft releases SideShow beta app for Windows Mobile originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>sideshowvistawindows-mobilewindows-vistaWed, 04 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST