WindowsForDevices.com Newsletter -- May 6, 2004
WELCOME TO THE WINDOWSFORDEVICES.COM WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
May 6, 2004
by Rick Lehrbaum -- Editor-in-chief
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_____________________ * * * TOP STORIES * * * ____________________
ENTER WINDOWS MOBILE DEVELOPER SWEEPSTAKES -- WIN A POCKET PC PHONE!
Microsoft has launched the "WMSPP Ultimate Developer Package
Sweepstakes." The company is inviting existing or new members of its
Windows Mobile Solutions Partner Program (WMSPP) to enter in the contest
for a chance to win a Pocket PC Phone Edition device, along with its
software development (SDK) (airtime not included).
Read full story
MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES TECHNICAL PROGRAM FOR EMBEDDED DEVCON
Microsoft has added details of the technical program for the upcoming
Windows Embedded Developers' Conference in San Diego to the conference's
web site. This is Microsoft's fourth annual Windows Embedded DevCon,
bringing developers face-to-face with the Windows Embedded development team.
Read full story
MICROSOFT ISSUES WINDOWS XP EMBEDDED PATCH FOR SASSER WORM
In the space of three days, four variants of the virulent Sasser worm
have emerged, each capable of causing systems running Windows XP, NT,
and 2000 to reboot without warning. Windows XP Embedded-based devices
are vulnerable if the operating system image contains components that
are affected by the virus. Consequently, Microsoft has issued a patch
for OEMs and developers to incorporate in their Windows XP Embedded
component database, which is available from the Microsoft Download Center.
Read full story
TRI-BAND GSM POCKET PC PHONE DEBUTS
Anextek recently announced a tri-band GSM phone running Windows Pocket
PC Phone 2003. According to the company, the SP230 is powered by a 400
MHz Intel PXA255 processor and sports a wide range of features that make
it useful as a personal messaging and multimedia center. Learn more
about the Anextek SP230 from this WindowsForDevices.com Device Profile.
Read full story
MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF WINDOWS XP EMBEDDED FEATURES SURVEY
Congratulations to the winners of the 2004 Windows XP Embedded Features
Survey sponsored by Microsoft's Embedded Devices Group. Microsoft says
they selected the three winners for the "outstanding quantity and
quality of their submissions." Each winner will receive a Microsoft
MN-700 wireless router with integrated 802.11g wireless access point and
4-port Ethernet switch (or another prize of similar value).
Read full story
MICROSOFT EXPANDS SUPPORT FOR WEB SERVICES ON DEVICES
At the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Seattle this
week, Microsoft introduced new tools and technologies intended to
facilitate the delivery of Web services to a broad range of
resource-constrained devices such as networked printers, digital picture
frames, and numerous other connected devices. The new support includes
the Devices Profile for Web Services and the Network Connected Device
Driver Development Kit (DDK).
Read full story
GARTNER: WINDOWS CE TIES PALM OS FOR Q1 '04 MARKET SHARE
A report released today by Gartner shows Palm OS and Windows CE in a
virtual tie for PDA OS shipments in the first quarter of 2004, with
about 40 percent each. The report also says worldwide shipments of PDAs
fell by 4.6 percent compared with the same quarter last year. Our news
item provides more of Gartner's perspective, including market share charts.
Read full story
FIRST MIL SPEC PDA RUNS CE .NET
Claimed to be the "first ruggedized PDA," the TetraPAD is due out in May
from Logic Instrument. Based on a 400 MHz Intel XScale processor, and
enclosed in a magnesium case, the device meets Mil Specs for
temperature, shock, and radiation, the company says. Our news item
includes further details and photos of this interesting device.
Read full story
COMBO POCKET PC, GPS HANDHELD GIVES DIRECTIONS
Doubling as a navigation system and a full-featured Windows Mobile 2003
based Pocket PC, MiTAC's Digiwalker 168 offers turn-by-turn route
guidance -- both audio and visual -- throughout the continental US,
Hawaii, and Canada, and also includes personal information management
features as well as media playback including MP3 support. Further
details and photos are in our news item.
Read full story
GET ORGANIZED, KNOW WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE PIN POCKET PC
Combining a full GPS solution with all the features you'd expect from a
Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PC, the Personal Interactive Navigation
device (PiN) is expected to be introduced in the European market on June
1st according to its creator, Navman Europe. Turn-by-turn voice
instructions in English, French, or Italian guide you from any point to
any other point within 16 European countries. The 3.5-inch TFT LCD
provides 3D street-level views of your route, and plots your position
with an accuracy of five meters 95 percent of the time, Navman says.
Read full story
TABLET PC BOASTS MIL SPEC RUGGEDNESS
Logic Instrument claims that its recently introduced slate-style tablet
is the first Tablet PC to be certified to MIL-STD-810F and IP54. The
unit is equipped with a 1.4GHz Pentium M Low Voltage CPU and supports
Windows XP, 2000, and NT 4.0 based operation, the company says.
Read full story
WINDOWS CE 5.0 TAKES 4TH-PLACE HONORS IN READER'S CHOICE AWARDS
Windows CE .NET garnered 4th place standing in the first annual
"Reader's Choice Awards" contest held by CMP Media's eeProductCenter.
Held March 29 through April 2, 2004, the contest offered engineers,
technical managers, and other electronics professionals the opportunity
to vote for what they felt were the best new products on display at the
electronicaUSA / Embedded Systems Conference held in San Francisco
earlier this year.
Read full story
HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY, POCKET PC
It was four years ago on April 19, 2000 that Microsoft Chief Executive
Officer Steve Ballmer demonstrated the first Pocket PC in Grand Central
Station, kicking off what was described then as the "ultimate tool for
the mobile professional." From modest beginnings with two hardware
partners and 11 percent of the market, the Pocket PC OS recently pulled
into a tie for #1 in market share with Palm OS in a newly released
Gartner study, with more than 30 device makers currently shipping
Windows Mobile-based devices including such well-known names as
Motorola, Samsung and HP, and more than 50 mobile operators and service
providers bringing them to consumers. Additionally, Microsoft says that
there currently over 380,000 professional developers targeting Windows
Mobile, world-wide.
Read full story
OTHER NOTEWORTHY ITEMS FROM THE PAST WEEK . . .
* Microsoft rolls new version of Windows Media DRM software
Read full story
* Embedded browser optimized for Intel Personal Internet Client
Architecture
Read full story
* CE-based mobile phone/PDA for visually impaired wins honors
Read full story
* Windows Mobile arrives on talk radio
Read full story
* Microsoft selects Bluetooth devices for Windows CE Platform Builder
Read full story
* Backup utilities for Pocket PC and Smartphone
Read full story
* Report: Handheld, automotive apps to fuel rapid Bluetooth growth
Read full story
* New community website offers Tablet PC app downloads
Read full story
. . . and that's not all. Check here for the latest breaking news:
WindowsForDevices.com News Page
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