Have Microsoft finally come up with something worth getting excited about? Microsoft Live Mesh is an interesting new project that enables users to synch all of their mobile and computing devices seamlessly. This even includes Macs although currently, it’s only available on Windows platforms but a Mac release is imminent. At the moment it’s in pre-release beta stage and only the first 10,000 people who sign-up will be allowed to test it so you’d better hurry up.

The principle is thus - all of your devices that you include in the Mesh can be synchronised with each other at any time from any location as long as you have an internet connection. So let’s say you’re sat on the beach and want to make sure your documents on your Macbook are synched with your documents on your PC at home, just hit a button and it’s done. The same goes for your mobile device such as an iPhone. In the future, it’s expected that it will automatically synchronize your devices with offline applications which will become increasingly important as Web 2.0 takes off.

Refreshingly for a Microsoft product, it’s incredibly easy to use and beautifully presented and designed. It makes backing up essential documents, including videos and photos between devices just a matter of a few clicks. And it works perfectly in both IE and Firefox. The question is, how on earth are Microsoft going to sustain this service as it expands? The bandwidth it requires for millions of users synching across the world must be huge. Will we eventually see a distinct decline in synching times or is this a sign that Microsoft can still do something right? Read the rest of this entry »

There’s loads of great software available for Windows Mobile, but install too much and your Pocket PC or Smartphone will start to lag. As a result, it’s a good idea to regualrly remove the utilities or games that you no longer use. It’s pretty easy to do this through the ‘System’ menu in Windows Mobile. Click on ‘Start’ and select ‘Settings’. Now click on the ‘System’ tab and go down to ‘Remove Programs’. Highlight the program you wish to get rid of and click ‘Remove’. If you need to restart your phone or PDA you will be notified.

OK, well that’s that taken care of then? Well, maybe not actually. Some apps have preference files that stay on your system, or they don’t show up at all in the Remove Applications menu. As a result, it’s a good idea to run a special third-party installation tool to clean up the bits that get left behind. You could try Remover, which is specifically-designed for uninstalling Windows Mobile apps. However, I personally prefer MemMaid, as it’s good for cleaning bad uninstall data, and also helps you manage many other areas of your system memory.

To completely weed out the rest of your application data get hold of Today Plugin Uninstaller. The handy tool will remove any Today screen plugins you’ve installed and wipe away any traces they often leave behind during a standard uninstall.

Windows: If you want to keep your system in perfect shape, look no further. Mz Ultimate Tweaker features a complete collection of tweaks and tools you can use to improve the computer’s performance in many different aspects with a minimum effort: tweak Windows, boost CPU and RAM, optimize the Registry and more!

Mac: Need to erase a program and all associated files? Easy, just drag and drop the application onto the AppDelete icon. This application will find all associated files for you, after which it’s just a case of selecting what you want to keep or not. And so you don’t commit mistakes AppDelete keeps a log of everything you’ve removed.

Pocket PC: If you cannot stand to be away from your digital illustration tools then check out this fabulous Pocket PC application. Vspainter lets you transform yourself into some sort of 21st Century Van Gogh, allowing you to accessing advanced design and illustration tools from the palm of your hand. The customisable interface makes it very easy to set up your own workspace.

Windows: I guess you already know GIMP, the popular open-source image editor. The good news is that now you can take GIMP anywhere with you with Portable GIMP, a special version of this powerful photo editing software that has been specifically developed to be installed and run from a removable USB memory device.

Mac:  After playing around with WireTap Studio for a while I’ve found it to be an excellent application to record anything on your Mac. The program captures any hardware or software sound and includes a basic yet intuitive editor to clean up your tracks. You can save to any popular audio format and then send the track to your iPhone or iPod or share via email. Highly recommended.

Symbian: Do you ever find yourself constantly repeating things to your friends only for them to turn around and say “yeah, but you’ve told me that before”? Total Recall allows you to record mobile phone calls with the push of a button, saving them as audio files in either WAV or AMR files, so you never forget a conversation again!

Windows: If you need to store, backup or share files online in a secure way, forget about those free unreliable file sharing services and start using SpiderOak right away. This free online file storage service lets you keep up to 2GB of data on their servers for free, with the possibility to share anything you want on your personal page

Mac: It’s a good idea to index all your media every now and then so that you keep a clear record of where all your video, audio and other files are and make sure they stay well organized. Media Catalog lets you index media on any drive and thanks to a powerful search tool, gives you quick access to every file. The statistics section gives you detailed info such as file size, number of volumes and amount of updates you’ve made.

Phones: Studying the Quran is an essential part of Muslim life but what about those times when you can’t get near a mosque or are on the road? Step forward Quran Reader, a mobile application that lets you read the sacred texts while you’re on the move using your Java-enabled mobile phone.

The Web has always been notoriously difficult to get at on a mobile device. Fiddly controls, slow connection times, and terrible support for the latest online technologies and standards have made getting onto the Web from your phone or PDA a tiresome experience. Things are changing though, as anyone who has used the gorgeous iPhone browser will testify. But what about those of us still clinging to our Pocket PCs? Well there’s good news, because, from today, browsing the Web on Windows Mobile has got a whole lot more exciting, following the release of the first Beta version of Opera Mobile 9.5.

The previous version, Opera Mobile 8.5 already has something of a cult following among tech-savvy mobile users, but this latest release shows that it has enough to wow the mainstream. Once you’ve tried it, I guarantee you’ll never go back to the lumbering old beast that is IE which, unfortunately, comes bundled with every Windows Mobile handset. You can read my full review of Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta here, but here is an overview of what you’re missing out on if you don’t install it:

• Super-fast Web browsing - Opera has always been a browser synonymous with speed, even going back to its early days as a Windows desktop app. Opera Mobile 9.5 loads pages even faster than its previous incarnation, completely wiping the floor with Internet Explorer - despite the fact that it’s been crammed with even more features than before.
• Genuinely useful features - Far from throwing in a load of gimmicky but ultimately not very useful tools into its new mobile browser, it seems that Opera has been careful to include only things that will genuinely revolutionize your mobile Internet experience. So gems such as tabbed browsing, password management, page saving, auto-complete addresses, and content sharing via SMS now come as standard.
• Simple to use - Accessing the Web with Opera is much easier than ever, and the latest version finally gives those folk without an iPhone the chance to get excited about browsing the Web from their mobile. The user interface manages to be subtle yet practical, with large, touch-friendly icons, and quick-click access to many features. Plus, the new double-click page-zooming feature is simply irresistible.
• Far-reaching support for current Web standards - Boasting the claim of being ‘the most standards-compliant mobile browser available’, Opera Mobile 9.5 really ups the bar in terms of bringing compliance to the small screen. Support for the latest web technologies such as Ajax, Flash Lite and JavaScript can only enhance the credibility of this quite incredible browser.

Alternative download link:
Opera Mobile 9.5 on Softonic

Windows: are you tired of having to open the Twitter homepage, login and then write every time you want to update your Twitter? Try TweetDeck and it’ll be much easier. This sleek Twitter client is based on Adobe Air and offers you all the functionality of Twitter right on your desktop. Plus, it organizes your twitts and contacts to make them easier to handle.

Mac: Don’t know how to transfer media from your PSP to your Mac and back? iPSP offers a friendly interface to sync everything from movies to sounds,  browser bookmarks and gamesaves easily. It even includes a homebrew section where you can load any PSP game or utility that you’ve developed, edit them and select the format. iPSP also gives you an idea of what data is stored your PSP and how much space it takes.

Blackberry: Keeping records of your personal ID infromation can be a bit of a risk. Not with SplashID though, which provides quick and easy access to sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit cards, PINs, calling card numbers, insurance info and more. Data is stored in a secure, encrypted, password protected format for your security.

In this, the social networking age, it seems that many of us are unable to go outside. We’re far too busy accepting friend requests, sharing photos, exchanging music or watching each others’ videos to be able to  go and do anything in ‘real life’. Actually, this isn’t true, because there are now a number of applications that let you take part in social networks on your mobile, so you need never be away from your online pals. Here are some of the more popular ones out there.

• Whrrl - This location-based social tool will help you decide what to do tonight by tapping into the knowledge of people from your area, or the area your visiting. Organising everything you and your friends know about a place, Whrrl displays information on the hottest spots to visit on its maps.
• Kyte - Kyte’s Mobile Producer software , now available for the iPhone, allows you to instantly broadcast pictures as you take them, or create and share slideshows from your picture gallery. You can even use the Kyte service to chat with your audience in real time.
• ZYB - As I mentioned in my recent post on mobile data backup, ZYB has a social networking element that lets you keep your contacts updated with what you’re doing. You can add photos and data from your phone and instantly share them with your buddies, automatically notifying them via SMS as soon as you add something.
• Last.fm Mobile - One of the grand-daddys of the social networking world, Last.fm has now gone mobile with this client for Windows Mobile devices. The app replicates some of the functionality of the online radio app, such as ’scrobbling’, allowing you to tune into the kind of music you enjoy wherever you go.
• iMobicue - This Symbian mobile application allows you to open up your phone to the rest of the World. You can use it to share text, videos and photos via your cellphone, as well as chatting through MSN and Yahoo! using text or voice messaging. Perfect for staying in touch wherever you are!

It’s great to be able to carry all your personal information around at all time on your mobile phone. However, the problem with handheld devices has always been that accessing and working with this data is a very fiddly affair on the small screen. Thankfully, there are a number of services around that allow you to retrieve and manage your mobile phone data from a PC, making it much easier to use this information, as well as safeguarding private details.

One of the most popular mobile backup services is ZYB, which is free to use and works with a wide range of devices, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Siemens and Motorola (Windows Mobile users will need to pay for a third party client to use it). ZYB allows you to store your phone’s contacts, SMS messages, pictures and calendar events online. By syncing your Internet-enabled phone over the air, each time you add or edit data on your handset or on ZYB, your ZYB account is copied onto your phone, and vice versa. One of ZYB’s strong points is it social networking approach. You can easily tag photos of people and share content with friends. ZYB also includes a Twitter-style feature ‘Shouts’. Shouts are short messages that you post to your profile. Your buddies can subscribe to your Shouts and everytime you post a new one they will get a text message on their phone.

If you’re using Windows Mobile I suggest you try the equally excellent, Dashwire. The service works in a similar way to ZYB, i.e. it utilises your phone’s wireless Internet connection to sync data over the air. The ‘My Dashwire’page on your PC allows you to view text messages, reply to, delete and forward them. A great idea for those times when you don’t have your mobile to hand and want to keep up an SMS conversation. Like ZYB, Dashwire offers a way to share your pictures in the form of a kind-of photo blog, known as a shared page. Anyone can view this page, or you can tweak the privacy settings to only grant access to people you want to see your snaps.

A third mobile backup service you may want to try if you get no joy with the two mentioned above, is MightyPhone. One of the longest-running services of its kind, MightyPhone is available for a number of BREW-enabled phones, including LG, Samsung and Motorola devices. It provides wireless syncing with Outlook, Outlook Express and Lotus Notes, as well as customisable alerts, so that when your schedule or contacts change on your PC, you’ll know about it on your phone straight away.

Only a few hours to wait (9 AM Pacific Time) and Apple will unveil its new Mobile Me service, iPhone 3G and App Store. This last one may simply be the biggest news of all. Ever since Apple released its iPhone Developer Kit enthusiasm among independent developers has been incredibly strong, reflected by the sold out WorldWide Developer Conference, which was largely dedicated to the iPhone.

Although, typically, little information has leaked on the App Store, Steve Jobs has mentioned that already 500 different applications will be available, with a quarter of them being free while the rest should only cost a max of $9.99. Also, according to the New York Times, a third of the applications will be games. The rest will have its fair share of educational, communication, productivity and other sorts of programs. Forbes states that Apple will take a 30% cut on the sale of any iPhone application, and in the long term developers will be able to set their own prices.

We’ve already seen demos of many iPhone apps and games in the last few months, but with the imminent launch of the App Store I’ve noticed many video demos are now unavailable. A case of Apple cracking down just to make sure all eyes are on the App Store? In any case I’m anxious to see how all these applications will make use of the most exciting iPhone features like Multi-Touch and its different sensors.  Apple is entering a whole new territory here, but it seems they’ve got everything well covered. One more market conquered?

Windows: If you ever need to take as many screenshots as we do, SnagIt is your best choice. The last version of this gorgeous screen capturing and editing tool (9.0.0.351) includes exciting new features such as the ability to work on several images at the same time and support for meta-tagging and labeling images, plus a totally revamped interface design.

Mac: Winner of this year’s Apple Design Awards, ScreenFlow is an impressive screencasting program for Mac. Blessed with a beautiful interface, an effective editor and loads of effects, ScreenFlow allows you to create top quality video tutorials. The application will record not only images but also all your keyboard and mouse actions, making for more precise screencasts.

Java phones: If you’re a fan of ultra cute platformers like the New Zealand Stories then you might want to check out Firby 2. This mobile game sees you assume the role of a little blob who must navigate different worlds, solving puzzles, collecting things and avoiding any bad creatures that may come his way. The platform-leaping format is highly unoriginal and yet highly playable at the same time.

For all you .Mac members, there’s only three days left until the service is shut down and Apple switches you to its brand new MobileMe service. Released at the same time as the new iPhone 3G, with which it will interact, MobileMe is surrounded by high expectations, as it will be a big step up from the aging .Mac services.

An Apple support page keeps a status posted to let .Mac members know of the switch. On Wednesday July 9 at 6 pm GMT, the .Mac service will be taken offline. The new MobileMe service will then have a six hour window to be introduced, which means .Mac members could spend a few hours without access to their account. The status window shows little colored buttons next to each .Mac service to keep you updated on their availability.

The switch seems to be highly worth it though. Although the yearly subscription fee is still a little high at $99, I feel that MobileMe offers much more incentives. Not only do you get 20 GB of individual storage, which should be plenty to hold all your emails and a significant amount of pictures, but you also get better integration with all Apple applications like iCal, Mail and the Address Book. You also still get direct access to your iDisk from your desktop.

The best improvement for me though is the easy synchronization of all your data, which should be best demonstrated with the iPhone 3G. Having all your contacts, notes and emails disseminated across all your computers and devices can really drive you crazy, and you simply don’t want to waste time harmonizing personal data on each device. If synchronization with MobileMe really proves to be as seamless as they say, I might just consider signing up.

Windows: you have loads of fun watching online videos, but what if one day they just disappear from the Web? Have your favorite videos always at your fingertips with TubeMaster, a simple tool with which you can browse, download and convert videos from popular video websites like Youtube, Metacafe, Daily Motion and more. You’ll never lose a great video again!

Mac: Looking for an alternative for the famous Quicktime and VLC media players? Chroma is a good replacement. The video player offers excellent codec and subtitle support, has good movie settings for both audio and video, and includes all sorts of controls for playing movies in loops, setting the scan speed and playhead navigation. Perfect for anyone who has grown tired of Quicktime.

Pocket PC: Planning a trip this week? GPS Tuner offers high precision measurements to show you detailed maps. The application works very well whether you are on the road, out on a boat, hiking in the mountains or even flying. GPS Tuner also makes it very easy to manage, modify, import and export your waypoints.

Windows: If you’d like to create your own 3D animations but it seems too difficult for you, Houdini Apprentice is the tool you’re looking for. This application lets you design and create professional-looking animation, thanks to its wide array of tools and effects.

Mac: Are you a big fan of the GTD management method? EasyTask Manager allows you to handle your tasks and projects the GTD way. The application offers a clear interface and all the GTD terminology so you can collect, process, organize, review and do what you need to do in the shortest time possible. Beware though, once you get into GTD, you’ll start to see the world as tasks!

Phones: Everyone’s favorite mobile phone game is back, yet this time packed with more features. CrazySoft Snake Deluxe serves up great graphics, new enemies and more levels that you could ever wish for. If you want to compete with other users, there’s even an online mode available. A classic, and well worth having on your phone.

Mac: In times of crisis like these, managing your personal finances well is crucial. Luckily the Mac offers a wealth of excellent personal finance managers like MoneyWell. Organize your income and expenses in buckets and create multiple amounts to which you can allocate precise amounts of money. MoneyWell also displays clear charts to always have an eye on your finances.

Windows: If you ever need to create PDF documents there’s no need to use expensive paid-for software tools. Simply download doPDF and turn any standard Windows application into a PDF creation tool - as long as it supports printing. The program’s latest version has improved some of its functions and is now even easier to use.

Pocket PC:  If you fancy yourself as the next Bruce Lee then you can now put your skills to the test while you’re sat on the bus, thanks to Kung-Fu Master. Your mission is to rescue your kidnapped girlfriend by fighting off the bevy of bad guys that are intent on stopping you. Also available for Windows Mobile Smartphones.