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Tips & Tricks to help you do more with your device!

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Download free GPS tracking software

Submitted Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Mologogo is offering free GPS tracking software for Windows Mobile 6 GPS-enabled touch screen smartphones. Mologogo can be used to keep track of friends or kids, share your location on the Web, find your phone if it gets lost, and more. Mologogo can be downloaded at wm.mologogo.com.

Using your handset as a modem

Submitted Friday, August 1, 2008

Werner Ruotsalainen describes in detail how you can use your smartphone as a modem for a computer. Click here for the article.

Turn off the screen during calls

Submitted Friday, August 1, 2008

A tip from WMExperts.com describes how to use a freeware program to turn off the LCD screen on your smartphone during calls to save battery power. Click here for the article.

How to get rid of auto-synchronization in Messaging

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to use a registry editor to disable Messaging from being automatically synchronized when you sync your device to your desktop PC.

Click here for the article.

How to make your device look like a desktop PC to Web servers

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
If you want to browse the Web as if you were a desktop PC by viewing pages that are not in Internet Explorer Mobile mode, then read this Werner Ruotsalainen tutorial. He covers a number of different Web browsers, including Internet Explorer Mobile, Opera Mobile, and NetFront 3.3.

Click here for the article.

MAC address of your Wi-Fi unit/card

Submitted Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to obtain the MAC address of your Wi-Fi unit/card using both built-in and third-party applications. Click here for the article.

How to change the 5 minute backlight timeout limit

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s tutorial on making registry changes to get around the 5 minute backlight timeout limit.

Click here for the article.

How to set up a Bluetooth Personal Area Network (PAN)

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Werner Ruotsalainen provides a full tutorial on how to create a Bluetooth PAN, which allows you to text or voice chat, share an Internet connection, or play multiplayer video games between two devices.

Click here for the article.

Download free “Cool Stuff” from Microsoft

Submitted Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Microsoft has created a new site that offers free Windows Mobile downloads (windowsmobile.com/coolstuff). The site includes Ringtones, Wallpapers, Themes, Games, and Maps, Directions, Traffic.

GPS vs. aGPS: A Quick Tutorial

Submitted Tuesday, February 12, 2008

A number of new devices are coming out that feature aGPS (assisted GPS). Malatesta at WMExperts.com provides an excellent tutorial on the differences between aGPS and standard GPS. Click here for the article.

The Today screen “New” menu

Submitted Thursday, March 6, 2008
On pre-WM 5 touch screen devices, there was a convenient built-in feature on the Today screen: a New menu in the lower left corner that allowed you to quickly open a new Word document, Contact, Appointment, or other item without having to navigate to it through the Start menu.
This feature was left off of Windows Mobile starting with version 5, but a third-party freeware program called WM5NewMenu (saman-cz.com/ppc/index.html) is available that adds this feature back to Windows Mobile
[Read more]

Listen to Sirius or XM satellite radio on your device

Submitted Tuesday, January 29, 2008
With a subscription to Sirius or XM satellite radio, the proper software, and a live Internet connection, you can listen to commercial-free music and other satellite radio programming on your touch screen device. Here’s how you do it.
Sirius subscribers
  1. Download Sirius WM5 at geekstoolbox.com and install it on your device.
[Read more]

Download GPS config for BlackJack II, Q 9h, Q 9c, and others

Submitted Thursday, February 7, 2008
There is a "must-have" GPS utility that can assign it to COM4 for some non-touch screen smartphones. Click here to read about it and download it.
For a hack to improve GPS signal acquisition on the Sprint Q 9c, click here.

Add iPhone-like Contact scrolling to your device for free

Submitted Wednesday, January 2, 2008
A freeware program for touch screen devices called iContact provides iPhone-like scrolling for your Contacts. The program displays all your contacts vertically in a full screen format (except for the top task bar), and the list can be easily scrolled up or down using your finger or a stylus. A light touch on a contact name will open the normal Contact page, and if you tap OK, you will be taken back to the iContact list of contacts.
[Read more]

11 great free applications for touch screen devices

Submitted Friday, December 21, 2007

Here is a list of 11 great free applications for touch screen devices, including an excellent tetris game called Kevtris.

Personalizing Windows Mobile Device Center

Submitted Wednesday, December 19, 2007

mrailing on PDAPhoneHome.com has written a series of posts about how to have an image of your device appear in the Windows Mobile Device Center menu instead of the default generic image. The posts also provide a variety of different images of Windows Mobile devices. Click here to view the posts.

Delete shortcuts to built-in programs

Submitted Thursday, November 29, 2007
There are many programs built into Windows Mobile devices, and you may never use some of them (e.g., Terminal Services and Bubble Breaker). Unfortunately, you cannot delete these programs because they are permanently installed on the device. You can delete a program from the Start menu by going to Start >Settings >Menu and un-checking it in list.
[Read more]

Use your Pocket PC as a Web camera

Submitted Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses the third-party application CoolCamera which uses the built-in camera as a Web camera. Click here for the article.

Wi-Fi synching in ActiveSync

Submitted Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses the inability of using Wi-Fi to sync using ActiveSync and other options that are available, including Bluetooth. Click here for the article.

Avoiding problems with the Windows Mobile shutdown model

Submitted Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses ways you can improve the management of opening and closing processes. Click here for the article.

Viewing WordPerfect files on a Pocket PC

Submitted Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses how WordPerfect files can be viewed on Pocket PCs by converting them to RTF files, since no third-party program exists to do it. Click here for the article.

Optimizing your Yahoo mail account

Submitted Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen discuss how to optimize a Yahoo mail account for Pocket PCs with the use of POP3, HTTP, or WAP accounts here.

Stop the soft input panel from automatically popping up

Submitted Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen reviews three different "null-SIPs," third-party programs that automatically hide the built-in software input panel when they are activated. Click here for the article.

Transferring PIM information (Contacts, etc.) and messages to other Windows Mobile devices without Outlook/Exchange

Submitted Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to transfer PIM files like Contacts and Calendar appointments from one Windows Mobile device to another (without using Outlook and ActiveSync) by using third-party programs such as SK Tools and PIM Backup. Click here for the article.

Bluetooth A2DP support via freeware

Submitted Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Some Windows Mobile devices do not support Bluetooth's Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), which decodes incoming Bluetooth audio and sends it wirelessly to a Bluetooth headset, allowing a user to enjoy music wirelessly through headphones on the device.

[Read more]

Partition an SD card

Submitted Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Some programs may have trouble accessing small files in a large storage card. It can help to partition the card into smaller chunks. "TheBlasphemer" at xda-developers.com has written a how-to on partitioning an SD card. Click here for the article.

Voice-operated IR applications

Submitted Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses different voice-operated infrared remote controller applications, including VITO Remote and PDAWin TV remote controller 5.5. Click here for the article.

Hiding Internet Explorer vertical scrollbars

Submitted Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen recommends Internet Explorer plug-ins to hide vertical scrollbars, such as MultiIE or PIEPlus. Click here for the article.

Recommended voice controller applications

Submitted Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen recommends and discusses different voice controller programs for the Pocket PC, including Microsoft Voice Command and VITO Voice2Go. Click here for the article.

“Toggling” in infrared explained

Submitted Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen explains the “toggling” functionality in infrared controllers, or emitting two different commands. Click here for the explanation.

Synching Contacts between a Pocket PC and a smartphone

Submitted Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s recommendation on how to directly sync Contacts between a Pocket PC and a Smartphone using the third-party program Indovisi SMS here.

Sound recorder compatibility with Windows Mobile 5 devices

Submitted Thursday, September 6, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s roundup of sound recorder applications here.

Sharing an Internet connection through Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Submitted Thursday, September 6, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses how to use your device as an Internet access point through Bluetooth/Wi-Fi. Click here for the article.

Accessing shared drives on your desktop computer via ActiveSync

Submitted Thursday, September 6, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses how to access the shared drives on your desktop PC via ActiveSync using File Explorer, and suggests a third-party solution as well. Click here for the article.

Change the navigation pad scrolling behavior in Internet Explorer

Submitted Thursday, September 6, 2007

You may notice that in Internet Explorer, if you use the navigation pad to scroll around on a Web page, the links will be highlighted instead of the entire page being scrolled. Werner Ruotsalainen discusses how to change this, from using registry editors to using third-party Web browsers. Click here for the article.

Install .CAB files from your desktop

Submitted Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Read Ben Stanley's description of how to use a third-party program called CABviaActiveSync to install CAB files to your device using ActiveSync on your desktop computer here. 

AM/FM CF/SD radio cards

Submitted Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s post and subsequent discussion regarding radio cards for Pocket PCs here.

RealOne streamed content on Pocket PCs

Submitted Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to watch and listen to RealOne streamed content on Pocket PCs, including using a Wi-Fi access point. Click here for the article.

Roundup of registry editors

Submitted Tuesday, August 28, 2007

If you are interested in making changes to your registry, make sure and read Werner Ruotsalainen’s “Ultimate Roundup of Registry Editors for the Pocket PC.”

Voice-operated infrared remote controller applications

Submitted Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses the different options in remote controller applications. Click here for the article.

Boot into Safe Mode

Submitted Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to use third-party software to re-boot your Pocket PC into Safe Mode if you are having trouble re-booting correctly, particularly after installing a third-party program. Click here for the article.

Speed up playback of audio files on Pocket PCs

Submitted Thursday, September 6, 2007

The "Voice Pitch Lock" setting on Vito SoundExplorer (vitotechnology.com) allows you to slow down or speed up the playback speed. (Vito SoundExplorer supports Windows Mobile 2003 through Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PCs and includes a plug-in that lets you record and play back voice memos from the Today screen.)

Internet Relay Chat clients

Submitted Thursday, August 16, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s report on the testing of the compliance of Internet Relay Chat clients with Windows Mobile 5 devices here.

Java Midlets on the Pocket PC

Submitted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s extensive tutorial on the use and installation of Midlets such as the Opera Mini Web browser here.

How and why you can kill the ActiveSync process

Submitted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses why you may want to kill the ActiveSync process and the third-party programs that can be used to do so, incuding KillSync and Resync. Click here for the article.

Playing MiDi files on your Pocket PC

Submitted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

If you are interested in playing MiDi audio files on your Pocket PC, read Werner Ruotsalainen’s complete roundup of third-party applications that can do so. Click here for the article.

Customize your own word completion dictionary

Submitted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses what dictionaries already exist (like MikkoPPC) and provides a tool that will help you create your own. Click here for the article

Displaying a Pocket PC on a projector

Submitted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses the different methods of displaying the screen of a Pocket PC through a projector, including the use of an external CF/SD VGA output card. Click here for the article.

Use third-party programs to convert images during synchronization

Submitted Thursday, August 16, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses different ActiveSync plug-ins that convert images so that they will fit onto Pocket PC screens, such as Resco Picture Viewer and SplashPhoto. Click here for the article.

Accessing IMAP4 mail servers on the Pocket PC

Submitted Thursday, August 16, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses the advantages of using IMAP4 to access your e-mail and the third-party applications that allow you to do so, such as FlexMail 2007 and Qmail. Click here for the article.

Stop the Internet disconnect when it’s not actively in use

Submitted Thursday, August 16, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s recommendation on how to disallow the automatic Internet disconnect using the third-party program vxUtil. Click here for the article.

How to encrypt your Wi-Fi connection

Submitted Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Brad Isaac at PocketPCAddict.com explains a quick procedure to lock down your Wi-Fi router.

Click here for the article.

Extracting Voice Note files to your desktop PC

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen provides his own third-party program for extracting WAV files (Voice Notes) from Notes files so that they can be listened to on desktop PCs. Click here for the article.

Flushing the registry

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s discussion of flushing the registry/Windows CE database under Windows Mobile 5 here.

Pocket PC game emulators

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s post about listings of game emulators for the Pocket PC here.

Use third-party programs to convert images during synchronization

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses different ActiveSync plug-ins that convert images so that they will fit onto Pocket PC screens, such as Resco Picture Viewer and SplashPhoto. Click here for the article.

Listen to Internet radio on your device

Submitted Friday, August 10, 2007

Jaime Lendino provides advice and software and service recommendations for listening to Internet radio on your device. Click here for the article.

How to change your Messaging account names

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The built-in Messaging application doesn’t allow you to change an account name after it has been created. Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s explanation of how to get around this using the third-party program Pocket dbExplorer.

Click here for the article.

How to set an arbitrary suspend timeout in Windows Mobile

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to set an arbitrary suspend timeout in Windows Mobile by using a third-party registry editor to make registry changes.

Click here for the article.

How to send HTML e-mails from your Pocket PC

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Werner Ruotsalainen recommends using the program Qmail. Read his description of the process.

Click here for the article.

E-mail clients for Pocket PCs

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s updated roundup of e-mail clients for Pocket PCs here.

Set up a shared Internet connection

Submitted Monday, July 23, 2007

Internet Sharing enables USB or Bluetooth connectivity and connection sharing (both the PC and WM device share a connection).

  1. Go to Start >Programs >Internet Sharing (WM 6 Standard: Start >Internet Sharing).
  2. Then select the type of connection to a laptop PC (USB cable or Bluetooth PAN).

How to extract Contacts from backup files

Submitted Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Werner Ruotsalainen explains how to use his own third-party program to extract Contacts from ActiveSync and backup files.

Click here for the article.

Backing up Windows Mobile 5 devices

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Read Werner Ruotsalainen’s complete overview and test of WM 5 backup solutions here.

Changing the text font color on the Today screen

Submitted Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Werner Ruotsalainen discusses the third-party programs (including Tweaks2K2 and CETuner) that can change the Today screen’s text font color. Click here for the full article.

Download patches, fixes, and updates for clamshell Handheld PCs like the NEC MobilePro and HP Jornada

Submitted Monday, July 16, 2007
Keeping your Handheld PC updated, particularly when the manufacturer no longer provides support, can be a daunting, often impossible task. If you are a legacy Handheld PC or Windows CE user (e.g. HPC2000) you can download patches, fixes, updates, manuals, ROM images, applications, and more, all for free from HPC:Factor’s H/PC:Update service (hpcfactor.com/support/update).

Find compatible hardware accessories and device drivers for clamshell Handheld PCs like the NEC MobilePro and HP Jornada

Submitted Monday, July 16, 2007
Finding compatible peripheral hardware accessories for your Handheld PC or PDA can be difficult. Created by the user community, the HPC:Factor Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) provides an easy to search database of compatible hardware accessories for Windows CE 1.0 through 6.0 and includes driver downloads, tips, and Web links to help you get up and running (hpcfactor.com/hcl).

How to avoid problems with ROM upgrades

Submitted Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Occasionally, device manufacturers and wireless carriers will offer major “ROM upgrades” for the Windows Mobile devices they market. When they do, they provide you with an installation file (on CD or downloadable) that walks you through the process, step by step. To avoid problems, follow these instructions to the letter.

Use your smartphone as a modem and connect your laptop to the Internet

Submitted Tuesday, July 17, 2007
You can use your phone-enabled Windows Mobile device to check your e-mail and browse the Web, but doing so on a small screen can be hard on the eyes. Fortunately, it may be possible to connect your laptop PC to the device (via cable or Bluetooth) and use the smartphone as a modem, which would allow you to browse the Web from your laptop.
Unfortunately, most wireless carriers don’t encourage this type of usage.
[Read more]

Turn your device into a remote control

Submitted Friday, May 25, 2007
Using third-party software, you can use your Windows Mobile device's IR (infrared) port as a remote for almost any electronic device, including TVs, VCRs, and DVD players. To find software that supports remote control capabilities, visit our Software Store (smartphonemag.com/swstore) and type “remote control” into the search field.

[Read more]

Finding a downloaded file

Submitted Tuesday, May 22, 2007

If you downloaded a file to your device and are unable to find it, then you should try looking for it in File Explorer (or File Manager) in Windows\Temporary Internet Files. Internet Explorer downloads all content to the subdirectories of the above mentioned directory. If a downloaded file does not have an association with any of the installed programs on your device, then it will be downloaded in that folder as well. You can copy the file from that folder to any other folder using File Explorer. To find a file more easily, you can sort the files by date.

Access eBay, Wikipedia, and other mobile sites

Submitted Friday, May 25, 2007

Anyone who has tried using eBay on a mobile device knows that it doesn’t work very well due to seemingly endless scroll bars. Instead, use this mobile eBay site (wap2.bonfiremedia.com) that is conveniently optimized for mobile devices. Note that you can view and bid on items but cannot make payments over the site. In addition, the widely popular encyclopedia site Wikipedia also has a mobile site (axa.instinct.co.nz/wiki/). For listings of other mobile sites, go to the following links:

[Read more]

Turning the sound off at set times

Submitted Friday, May 25, 2007
There may be times when you want to schedule the sound on your device to be off (such as during regular lectures or meetings) so that you don’t have to manually turn the sound off and back on again.
[Read more]

Seamless playback of songs

Submitted Friday, May 25, 2007

There are a number of third-party MP3 players for Windows Mobile devices that offer seamless playback (without noiseless gaps between songs). These include iPlay (40th.com) and Pocket Music (pocketmind.com).

Use screensavers on your device

Submitted Friday, May 25, 2007

Just as with desktop PCs, you can install third-party screen savers on Windows Mobile devices. For some quick results, visit our Software Store (smartphonemag.com/swstore) and do a search on “screen savers.” Note that some Today screen plug-ins such as Spb Time (spbsoftwarehouse.com) have a screen saver function included as a feature.

Viewing, modifying, and synchronizing Pocket Access databases

Submitted Friday, May 18, 2007
When you transfer a Microsoft Access (.mdb) database from a desktop PC to a Pocket PC, the database is converted to a Pocket Access (.cdb) database. When you copy the Microsoft Access database from your desktop PC to your Pocket PC using the Explore feature of ActiveSync, a dialog box pops up. This dialog box has a text box where you can enter the location of the folder where you want to copy the database, by default, it is the My Documents folder.
[Read more]

Annotations settings in Microsoft Reader

Submitted Friday, May 18, 2007

You can add a bookmark, text note, highlight, or drawing when you are reading an eBook with Microsoft Reader. Just select some text in an eBook using your stylus, and as soon as you lift your stylus from the selected text, a menu will pop up with the four options to annotate your text. If you want, you can disable any or all these options from appearing in the menu.

[Read more]

Viewing file extensions on a Windows Mobile device

Submitted Thursday, May 17, 2007
The File Explorer program built into the Pocket PC and Smartphone does not display file extensions. Instead, it displays an icon indicating the type of file you are dealing with. This is fine for most file types, but you may occasionally run into a file type that File Explorer does not recognize.
[Read more]

Watch out when using soft-sided luggage

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
If you're packing a Pocket PC or Smartphone in a knapsack or fabric luggage, keep the device away from the thin fabric sides of the bag and put it in a carrying case or surround it with bubble wrap or something else that will absorb shock and impacts.

Updates to your device's operating system

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Periodically, Microsoft will release a minor update to their Windows Mobile OS and software suite, which may include bug fixes and minor enhancements; these are called “ROM updates.” These are made available to the device user through the manufacturer of the d
[Read more]

How to use your alarm to wake up to music

Submitted Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Many bedside alarms these days include a setting that allows you to wake up to music first thing in the morning. Touch screen devices are no different. You can use the third-party program The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP) (see Web site below) and the built-in Alarms program to wake up to music.

Avoid programs written for MIPS and SH3 processors

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The original version of the Pocket PC OS (Pocket PC 2000) supported three processor types: ARM, MIPS, and SH3. With the release of Pocket PC 2002, Microsoft standardized on ARM processors and stopped supporting MIPS and SH3. When you are downloading third-party software—particularly shareware, freeware, and older programs—avoid programs written for MIPS and SH3 processors. Usually, these are clearly marked on the vendor's Web site.
[Read more]

Syncing with a Mac OS computer

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
ActiveSync doesn’t work with Mac OS computers, but alternatives are available. Check out Missing Sync (markspace.com) and PocketMac Pro (pocketmac.net). They’ll help your Windows Mobile device talk with your Macintosh computer.

Use Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine's online resources

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Go to smartphonemag.com to discover the many resources that we offer. These include listings of the Best Software Awards, Product Reviews, a VIP section which includes an interactive version of this How-to Guide, discounts on software, contests, an Online store, the Best of Everything Software Package, and much more. Registration to the VIP site is free to subscribers or those who purchase the magazine from newsstands.

Save user's manuals in electronic format

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A user's manual for your device is usually available in PDF format on the Companion CD that shipped with it, and it may also be available on the manufacturer's Web site. In addition, user's manuals for many other electronic devices and appliances may be available in PDF format on the manufacturer's Web sites.
[Read more]

Third-party programs may cause mysterious problems

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
If your Windows Mobile device starts exhibiting strange behavior—applications aren’t working right or the device soft resets itself periodically—the source of the problem might be a third-party program you installed recently. You can check this out by uninstalling your third-party applications one at a time, starting with the most recently installed ones.
[Read more]

Finding and reading eBooks

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
There are a lot of novels and short stories available in various eBook formats. A list of some of the best eBook sites can be found on our Best Sites Web page (pocketpcmag.com/bestsites.asp). The Microsoft Reader Web site (microsoft.com/reader/us/shop/default.asp) has a list of commercial sites that offer eBooks in MS Reader (.LIT) format.
[Read more]

Use software utilities to reset your device

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
If you perform numerous soft resets over time, you can damage the delicate switch inside the reset hole on the back of your device, especially if you press down on it with too much force. Fortunately, there are a number of third-party utilities that perform these functions without having to insert the stylus into a hole.
[Read more]

Turn your device into a travel companion

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
You can use your Windows Mobile device to store your travel itinerary, city guides, and more.
  • Track your travel itineraries: Instead of trying to keep track of a stack of papers when you’re on the go, enter your itinerary into your device using Word Mobile.
[Read more]

Use soft keyboards and Today screen plug-ins to be more effective

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
You can be more effective and make your device more useful to you by installing one of these soft keyboards and Today screen plug-ins.
 
TenGo places the entire alphabet on six large keys.
Soft keyboards
A number of third-party soft k
[Read more]

Where to get third-party software

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006

In most cases, you can download and purchase third-party software directly from the developer’s Web site. However, many developers market their software through independent online stores. When a program we mention is available directly from the developer, we will list that site. If it is only available from an independent online store, we will list that site.

[Read more]

Finding the hardware accessories you need

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The first place to look for hardware accessories is the Web site of the manufacturer of your Windows Mobile device or the wireless carrier that sold you the device.
[Read more]

External keyboard makes text entry easier

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Many of the older touch screen Pocket PCs are pen-entry devices without physical keyboards. However, the majority of Windows Mobile touch screen devices released today have integrated phones and QWERTY thumb keyboards for text entry. Unfortunately, these keyboards are small and not well suited for extended text entry. The easiest way to enter Contacts, Calendar appointments, text, etc., is to do it on your PC and sync it with your Windows Mobile device.
[Read more]

Replacing a damaged screen

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Even of you carry your device in a carrying case, it's possible to drop it while you're using it and damage the screen. If you do this while your device is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer or wireless carrier that sold it to you.
[Read more]

GPS receivers and other accessories cause extra drain on your device’s battery: get a car charger and a spare battery

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
GPS receivers require power to operate. If you have one built into your device, or if you add one using a cabled or CF/SD card interface, the receiver draws the needed power from your device. Bluetooth GPS receivers have their own rechargeable batteries, but to communicate with them your device must also have Bluetooth capability, and it must be turned on.
[Read more]

Get geocaching software to make things easier

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Once you have a GPS-equipped device, you can buy geocaching software to make the whole thing easier. Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine recognizes Windows Mobile programs each year with its Best Software Awards. In the 2006 awards, GPS Tuner (GPSTuner.com) won the top honor in the geocaching category, and it is available for both the Pocket PC and Smartphone.
[Read more]

Use Geocaching.com to learn about caches in your area and get geocaching software

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to find and hide containers (called “geocaches” or “caches”) anywhere in the world. You locate the cache by using a set of GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) provided by the person who placed the cache. Since GPS receivers are accurate to within about 10 feet, you may have to hunt around for it once you get to the coordinates.
[Read more]

Geekzone has free Bluetooth guides

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Bluetooth technology is supposed to make it easier to create wireless connections between your Windows Mobile device and a peripheral. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. If you're having trouble connecting your Bluetooth-enabled device to another device, check out Geekzone's online Bluetooth guides. Each one provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete Bluetooth tasks on a variety of devices.
[Read more]

Find a wireless service provider first and then buy a device they support

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The best way to find a wireless solution that works is to choose the wireless service provider that offers the coverage and services you want, and then buy a Windows Mobile device with a built in phone (Pocket PC Phone Edition, Smartphone Professional, Smartphone Standard) that they support or sell. This is particularly important when working with Sprint and Verizon in the U.S.
[Read more]

Connect Pocket PC to cell phone via cable

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
If you want to go on the Internet using your Pocket PC, you can by using the data capabilities of your existing cell phone and cell network. You will need to connect your Pocket PC to your cell phone via a cable. Gomatic (Gomadic.com/accessories-wireless.html) offers cables for a wide variety of Pocket PCs and cell phones.
[Read more]

Spare power adapters for home, work, and travel

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
In order to enhance your Windows Mobile experience and add convenience, it is a good idea to have spare power adapters for your device. For instance, if you use your device for both work and personal use, it's more convenient to have adapters at work and at home, than to carry one back and forth.
[Read more]

Get a spare or optional extended battery

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
If you often find your battery level too low or notice that you're constantly recharging your device, you may want to consider purchasing an extended battery. These batteries are custom made for each Pocket PC or smartphone series and fit onto the back of your device.
[Read more]

Cold kills your device's battery and can affect its display

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A winter warning: If you're working outside, don't leave your Windows Mobile device sitting on a bench for any length of time. If you drive around a lot, don't store it in your glove compartment. Cold decreases the power output of batteries. If the battery freezes, you can damage it and have to replace it. If the battery voltage goes low enough, pre-WM5 devices may lose data stored in RAM memory.
[Read more]

Stream your own media content

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
You can stream music and videos you have stored on your desktop PC over the Web and listen to or view them on an Internet-connected Windows Mobile device (or other computer) anywhere in the world. Orb (orb.com) is the free service that makes this possible. After you’ve signed up and installed the Orb Media application on your PC, you can access the media content stored on it over a secure Internet connection.
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Play video & audio in various formats

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Media Player Mobile can only play video in ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) or WMV (Windows Media Video) formats. In addition, it can only handle audio in WMA (Windows Media Audio) and MP3 formats. If you want to play content saved in another format, you will have to first convert it to one of the supported formats or install a media player application that supports the other format.
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Keep reference materials on your device

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Many organizations distribute reports, product information, sales information, and the like in word processor documents (DOC or TXT) or spreadsheets (XLS or WKS). You can read most of these in Word or Excel Mobile on the Pocket PC.
In addition, many companies offer sales documents, products lists, reference works, eBooks, etc., in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. The Pocket PC does not come with a built-in PDF viewer.
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Change the system registry using Tweaks2k2

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The system registry is a file that contains the settings, options, and other information about your Windows Mobile device. For example, whenever you install a third-party application, information is added to the registry, telling the system where the program file is stored, what document files are associated with it, and more.
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How to add GPS capability

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Some Windows Mobile devices have GPS capability built into them. If yours does not, you can add it by purchasing a GPS receiver and GPS navigation software.

Microsoft Reader is no longer built-in: it's now a free download

Submitted Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Microsoft no longer offers Microsoft Reader as part of the built-in software on the Pocket PC. However, it's available as a free download. You can get it at Microsoft's Web site (microsoft.com/reader/downloads/ppc.asp).

Playing YouTube and other Flash Video Files (.FLV) on a Windows Mobile device

Submitted Wednesday, April 18, 2007
You can download the free Macromedia (Adobe) Flash Plug-in (adobe.com/products/flashplayer_pocketpc) to view some Flash content, but it will not support most YouTube and Google Video files.
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How to find the best software

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine's Best Software Awards (pocketpcmag.com/awards) is a great place to check if you're looking for good software.

How to get free Weather Information

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
Weather information formatted for your Windows Mobile device is offered free on the Internet, and can be accessed via Internet Explorer Mobile.

How to create a podcast

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
You can create and post podcasts from your Pocket PC using Resco Audio Recorder.

How to download news and other content automatically with RSS feeds

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
Install NewsBreak (iliumsoft.com), PocketRSS (happyjackroad.net), or another RSS news reader program on your Windows Mobile device; specify the news feeds you’re interested in; have them delivered to your Internet-connected device automatically.

How to select a business application architecture

Submitted Thursday, April 12, 2007

Before you select the architecture, evaluate your needs to determine whether a thin-client (wireless) or smart-client (mobile) architecture is right for your application.

How to make Video iPod owners envious

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
Use Pocket PC Encoder on your PC and TCPMP on your Windows Mobile device to convert and watch full-screen videos from a variety of content sources.

How to prioritize usability in mobile solution design

Submitted Thursday, April 12, 2007

Maximize the potential for a successful mobile deployment by properly prioritizing usability components when building or selecting an application.

How to use a phone-enabled device as an Internet proxy

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
You can use some Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC Phone Edition devices and (in theory) Smartphones as a wireless Internet proxy to connect a Bluetooth-enabled laptop or other PC to the Internet via a dial-up connection.

How to create and use a Bluetooth partnership

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
Bluetooth is a low-power wireless communication protocol built into most Windows Mobile devices. To use it, you have to turn it on, ensure that the device is discoverable, and create a partnership with another Bluetooth-enabled device. Windows Mobile devices with Bluetooth capabilities can connect to headsets and external speakers to enhance their audio capabilities. Then can also connect to other Bluetooth-enabled PDAs to send and receive Contacts, Tasks, appointments, and files over a distance of about 10 meters (30 feet) without requiring a physical connection.

How to connect to a Wi-Fi network

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
To connect to a Wi-Fi network, activate Wi-Fi on your device. In most cases, it will “sniff out” the available networks in your immediate area and present a list of them. Select the one you want and it will connect in a few seconds.

How to sync directly to an Exchange Server

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Set up your device to synchronize directly to an Exchange Server by going to Start >Programs >ActiveSync >Menu >Configure Server. Then input the information provided by your system administrator or service provider.

Synchronize your device with Outlook Express

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
You cannot use ActiveSync to synchronize your device with Outlook Express, but there are third-party solutions that let you do this. Check out IntelliSync (intellisync.com) and SyncExpress (syncdata.it).

When to replace your battery

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
If you notice that the amount of time you can use your device before having to recharge the battery is decreasing, it’s probably time to replace the battery.
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Free push e-mail solution for Windows Mobile

Submitted Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Emoze is a FREE push e-mail solution for Windows Mobile devices as well as other mobile devices. I’ve tried it and it works great. The installation process is very simple: all you have to do is enter the Web site and install it according to your device model. Emoze synchronizes Outlook’s Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks with full support of attachments. If you want to try it, go to emoze.com. (Emoze is based on Exchange Server 2003.

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Buy accessories online and save money

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
As soon as you buy your new Windows Mobile device, you’ll be tempted to accessorize it. The best place to start looking for accessories is your device manufacturer’s Web site. The site will usually point you to add-ons that specifically connect to your handheld, and sometimes they’re actually built, tested, and certified by the hardware manufacturer to work flawlessly.
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Playing tracked music on your Pocket PC

Submitted Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Many Pocket PC games contain “tracked” (a.k.a. “module”) music that is very easy to extract and listen to without actually running the game. In my post titled “Listen to the music of the great space shooter game Enslave without having to start the game” (4/8/06), I’ve already elaborated on the JT MOD Player 1.0. In this post, I elaborate on the latest developments in the Pocket PC world relating to playing back tracked music.
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Headset improves the quality of Skype calls

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology involves software and hardware that allows you to place and receive phone calls over a computer connected to the Internet.
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How to convert embedded voice recordings in Notes files to .wav files

Submitted Wednesday, April 11, 2007

If you want to convert a voice note that is embedded in a note (.msg file) to a .wav file, you can use the third-party program Gold Wave.

Transfer Outlook subfolders to Outlook Mobile

Submitted Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Synching Contacts subfolders is not natively supported in ActiveSync. However, PocketMirror Professional (chapura.com) does support synchronization of multiple Outlook Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks folders with the corresponding Outlook Mobile applications. In addition, Microsoft offers an add-on to the desktop PC version of Outlook that enables one-way synchronization of Contacts folders. For more on this, check out pocketpcfaq.com/raj/OutlookPCS.html.

Getting movies onto a Windows Mobile device

Submitted Wednesday, April 11, 2007

You can use the third-party program Windows Movie Maker on your PC to convert MPEG movie files into DIVX or WMV format so that they can be viewed on your Windows Mobile device. After you install it on your PC, simply import the MPEG into Movie Maker and then save it as a Windows Media file. Windows Movie Maker is a free download from Microsoft: microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx.

How to identify business processes for potential mobilization

Submitted Thursday, April 12, 2007

Before you try to implement mobile technologies, you have to find the areas of your business that can be improved through the use of mobile and wireless technology.

Connecting to the Internet on the go

Submitted Monday, April 2, 2007

Most recently-released Pocket PCs and Smartphones have the wireless capabilities you need to stay connected wherever you are. For example, most Pocket PCs and a few Smartphones have integrated Wi-Fi capabilities. And since Wi-Fi hotspots are becoming widely available in coffee shops, university campuses, municipal building, and malls, users of these devices will be able to browse the Web, via high-speed connections, wherever they can find a hotspot. To avoid disappointment, check out a few things before you leave on your next trip:

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Encrypt your sensitive files

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
Sentry 2020 (softwinter.com) is an excellent “on-the-fly” encryption program that encrypts touch screen device files as they are produced or saved. You can also use Resco File Explorer (resco.net) to select and encrypt individual or groups of files.
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Print documents from your Windows Mobile device

Submitted Monday, April 2, 2007

The ability to send documents to a printer is not built into Windows Mobile devices. The easiest way to print out a document or Outlook information is to transfer it to your desktop PC and print it out from there. If you must print from a Windows Mobile device, check out these third-party solutions:

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Control your device with your PC's keyboard and mouse

Submitted Friday, December 8, 2006
You can use third-party programs like Remote Keyboard (trancreative.com) and Pocket Controller-Professional (soti.net) to control your Windows Mobile device using your desktop PC’s keyboard and mouse. This makes it easier to enter text, take screen shots, and more.

Synchronize data with non-Microsoft PIMs

Submitted Monday, April 2, 2007

ActiveSync does a good job of synchronizing Outlook data, but doesn’t support some Outlook features or other desktop PC Personal Information Managers. Fortunately, a number of third-party applications are available to help you with that. Check out the following:

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How to enable Direct Push Technology

Submitted Tuesday, February 27, 2007
By configuring your device to synchronize “As items arrive” you can receive messages almost instantly while using much less battery power and bandwidth with Microsoft Exchange Direct Push Technology. E-mail is then automatically downloaded to the device from the Exchange Server over the air (OTA) through your wireless service account or other connected means.
 
Glossary:
  • Direct Push Technology: A technology that offers the instant delivery of messages to your Windows Mobile device over the air (OTA) through your wireless service account.
  • Exchange Server: A messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft that is widely used by enterprises.
  • Messaging & Security and Feature Pack: An update to the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 platform to support Direct Push Technology and enhanced security features. These features are included with all Windows Mobile 6 devices.
Background:
In the past, before Direct Push Technology, devices were required to connect with the server at specified time intervals or they were triggered by SMS messages to re-sync using ActiveSync. This required a lot of system resources, notably bandwidth (needed to remotely connect the mobile device to the server) and battery life (needed to constantly run these lengthy synching processes). Direct Push Technology saves battery life and bandwidth by maintaining an open Internet connection and only downloading items as they change, instead of executing a lengthy synching process. The open Internet connection may be achieved in a number of ways: through connection to the ActiveSync cradle, through the wireless phone service itself (the device does not even have to be in active mode) or by Wi-Fi (the Wi-Fi connection must be open).
The Direct Push Technology protocols have been included in Windows Mobile 6 and through updates to the Windows Mobile 5 operating system for each specific device. They can be installed by running Microsoft’s “Messaging and Security Feature Pack” which upgrades the mobile device’s OS to the latest version.

Try before you buy

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Microsoft periodically upgrades the OS and applications found on Windows Mobile devices. They design the OS to be “backward compatible,” which means that third-party software written for earlier versions of the OS should work on devices running newer versions. Because of differences in screen resolutions and the user interfaces found on newer Windows Mobile devices, there are cases where software written for an earlier version of the OS will not work well on a later version.
[Read more]

How to decide between custom and commercial mobile software

Submitted Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Decide whether you should use an off-the-shelf product, or build your own custom mobile business application.

How to read eBooks

Submitted Tuesday, February 27, 2007

You can read eBooks (electronic books) on your Windows Mobile device using Microsoft Reader (microsoft.com/reader/downloads/ppc.asp) and other third-party eBook readers. Check out the online version of this How-to to learn how to activate and use Microsoft Reader and find other eBook resources.

How to get answers to your questions from members of the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine forums

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
After you've registered for free on the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine forums, you can post questions and get answers from forum members.

No need for antivirus/firewall software on Windows Mobile devices

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
It is unlikely that you will need any Antivirus/Firewall Software for your device. Also, this software can take up a lot of valuable system resources.

How to connect Bluetooth serial ports

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Some Pocket PC-based multiplayer games (and some other programs) require that you create Bluetooth-based serial connections between two devices. An example of one of these games/applications is TapzMania, a decent multiplayer game. In this tutorial, I elaborate on how this can be done with the Microsoft (MS) Bluetooth (BT) stack.

Use a dashboard or windshield mount in vehicles

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
If you use your Windows Mobile device in the car to listen to music or to navigate via GPS, get a dashboard or windshield mount and keep the Pocket PC or Smartphone in the mount while you're driving. It will be easier to see and you won't have to fumble around to find it. Some device manufacturers offer these as optional accessories. If yours doesn't, they are available from third-party vendors.
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Where to find free game emulators

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Game Boy Advance (GBA) is a very popular portable gaming machine from Nintendo. It has quite advanced games and, therefore, there has always been a big demand for GBA emulators on other platforms. Touch screen devices (Pocket PCs) are no exception—there are quite a few GBA emulators on this platform.
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Use a mouse pointer on your Pocket PC

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
You can use the free third-party program Pen Irazu (http://pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=758) to navigate your Pocket PC with the D-Pad using a mouse pointer. Note that there may be problems with the program if you use Landscape mode, as it was written before Landscape mode existed.

Free download: Microsoft Money for Pocket PCs

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Microsoft offers a Pocket PC version of its popular desktop PC personal finance software, Microsoft Money. Once installed on your Windows Mobile device, the program lets you synchronize data with the PC version of the program, and access it when you're away from the office. You can also get up-to-date stock quotes when you synchronize your device, or through a live Internet connection.
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To overclock or not?

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
Intel's XScale processors have spawned a cottage industry in "overclocking" software. The XScale CPUs are designed to be able to run at more than one speed. The benefit is that CPU speed can be scaled to the task at hand: higher speeds for graphics-intensive or multimedia applications, lower speeds for spreadsheets and word-processing. Overclocking software overrides the built-in governors on the speed, pushing the processor to the max at all times.
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Use Resco Explorer to manage Bluetooth file transfers

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
There are a number of ways to use Bluetooth to transfer images, music, and other files from one Windows Mobile device to another. Unfortunately, using the built-in Bluetooth manager to do this is not very easy. A simpler and more straightforward way is to use Resco Explorer (resco.net). Since this is a third-party file explorer for Windows Mobile devices, you have to purchase it and install it on your device.
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Create your own ringtones

Submitted Friday, February 23, 2007
If you aren't satisfied with the built-in ringtones or can't find one you like, read Kevin Ebi's article (microsoft.com/windowsmobile/articles/ringtones.mspx) on how to create your own.