It’s no secret that I think that voice input and speech recognition in mobile devices will some day revolutionize the way we get things done.  While speech recognition is not quite there yet it is very close and in certain limited functions can be ra eal productivity booster.  Microsoft Voice Command is such a utility that makes interaction with Windows Mobile phones easier to do.  Microsoft recently released a new version, 1.6, that has improved functionality and ease of use features.  Jason Dunn of The Two Inch View (clever name) has published a review of this new version and he seems to like it.  Check it out to see if it might be something you WM device owners should have a look at.

Here in the U.S., as well as in a few other countries I believe, we’re extending Daylight Savings Time this year by roughly four weeks over the current standard. Microsoft has some documentation on the impact to your Windows Mobile handheld and one kind soul created a CAB file to address the issue. If you’d rather not run the CAB he created, you can create your own using the info on the Microsoft page.

Ideally, your Windows Mobile handheld OEM or your phone carrier (if you have a Smartphone or Phone Edition device) should be providing a fix based off of the Microsoft code. It might make sense to wait and see if that happens, but if not, you’ve got this as a backup plan. I suspect that phone devices will a clock reset via the airwaves, but there could still be impacts to the Time Zone settings and appointments in your calendar.

Whether you use the great software from Spb Software House or not if you have a Windows Mobile device you should head over and join the newly launched Spb Club web site.  Run by the Spb folks, you’ll find all sorts of discussions about Spb software, Windows Mobile devices, along with some great free downloads.  I snagged a handful of very nice ringtones for my Smartphone so check them out.

Access might sound familiar; they’re the folks that bought the Palm OS. However, they also developed a solid web browsing client for Windows Mobile devices some years back. The NetFront browser didn’t get updated often, but many folks sung its praises. Looks like the venerable app is poised for a comeback as the::unwired caught a company press release: Access is offering a new version of NetFront as a technical preview and you can try it for free right here.

You’ll need a Windows Mobile 5 device and you’ll have to hurry: the preview expires at the end of this month! I noticed that the browser supports the HTML, XHTML and WAP2.0 standards. Better yet: NetFront also works with "CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), ECMAScript (JavaScript), DOM (Document Object Model), or DHTML (Dynamic HTML)" which should make for very functional browsing.

I was traipsing around the Windows Mobile web site this morning and stumbled across some hilarious ads that Microsoft has posted as part of their "Work Anywhere" campaign.  The ads feature a guy using his Windows Mobile device while wearing a suit covered with bacon (think release the hounds), duct taped to a lamp post, in an elevator full of snakes, encased in orange gelatin, and in a dark beaver den.  The ads themselves are very funny but the 3 outtakes they’ve also posted are priceless.  Check them out if you need some humor this first morning post-holidays.

The start of a new year often finds many thinking along the lines of getting more organized using mobile technology to get the year started in proper fashion.  It’s not an easy thing to do and requires giving a lot of thought to the tools at hand and finding a way to get the most out of them.  Microsoft MVP Jaap van Ekris of Modern Nomads has done a lot of that thinking and written a good article that addresses how to get the most out of Windows Mobile Pocket PCs.  The article concentrates on how to use the PIM applications for maximum effectiveness for getting everything under control.  The premise behind the article is that the more organized you get in your professional life the more time you have to devote to your personal life, something I agree with totally.  It’s a nice article and worth a read even if you are a long-time user of a Windows Mobile Pocket PC or were lucky enough to score one from Santa this year.

Perhaps the rumor of the Dell PDA demise is a bit overstated: the company officially released a ROM upgrade for the X50-series handheld yesterday. You can find information and downloads for the three different device ROMs (X50 – low, X50 – medium, X50v) directly at the Dell site and there are several Aximsite threads covering questions and user experiences. According to Dell, this Windows Mobile 5 ROM dubbed A02 provides:

1.OS 5.1.195(Build 14957.2.3.1)
2.Wireless roaming enhancement.
3.Improve CF memory card sometimes disappear.
4.CF modem driver improvement.
5.Microphone recording enhancement
6.ActiveSync connection improvement.

As with any ROM update, you definitely want to backup your device first and then ensure that it’s plugged in to an external power source before performing the ROM flash. The easiest way to brick a handheld is to have the power die on you in mid-flash! Thanks for the tip from our unofficial-UK-man-in-the field: Phil.

Mobility Site shares the good news: SPB Diary has an upgrade to 2.2 for your Windows Mobile 2003 or 5.0 device. I try to keep my Today screen plugins to a minimum on the XV 6700, but SPB Diary is a must have for me. I think I’ve said this before: "it’s what the Today screen should be". There, I said it again.

The new features include a Messaging tab for greater access to the Inbox and new context menus. I’ve always like the tabbed approach because I have access to so many necessary items all on one screen, which really boosts productivity. Don’t take my word for it: download the free 15-day trial. New license purchases are $19.95 while an upgrade from the 1.x version are $7.95. If you’re interested in a coupon code to save 50%, Mobility Site has one good through January 5th!

Why wouldn’t they be? Speculation aside, if the rumored specs are any indication, the HTC Athena could be one of the most powerful Windows Mobile phone devices yet. Several folks have opinions or reports on what we might see from HTC:

• SlashGear wonders what the price will be on the feature-packed device.
• the::unwired provides the updated pic above and specs; questions if this is all rumor.
• Carrypad thinks this might be the ultimate carrypad.

Among the rumored specs, the Athena will possibly have:

• 5-inch VGA touchscreen
• Windows Mobile
• GPS / GSM / GPRS / EDGE / Bluetooth / 802.11 b&g connectivity
• 3 megapixel camera
• detachable keyboard
• 8 Gigabyte drive

My initial thoughts (if the specs are correct):

• You won’t be able to touch this device for under $500 to $600, i.e.: near the price of low-end UMPCs with more features and a more powerful OS.
• The detachable keyboard is nice, but not for heavy duty use; it looks too flat and small
• Once you have a VGA WM device, you’ll never want a QVGA one again. VGA is a "disruptor", much like 3G connectivity.
• The 8 Gigabytes of storage are likely flash-based to save battery life
• Although there appears to be phone capabilities, holding up a 5-inch screen to your ear will likely cause most owners to use a Bluetooth headset.

You’ve got my thoughts. What do you think? Does a device with these rumored specs appeal to you?

I’ve recently realized (just this week) that I use my Windows Mobile device much less than I used to. I’m not suggesting that’s a general trend for everyone, but as computing devices become smaller and more connected (think UMPCs and beyond), I do wonder if this is the beginning of a trend. There will probably always be place for a mega-featured phone or PDA for some, so I’m not predicting doom and gloom here. Nope, instead, I’m wondering what features we’ll see (or should see) in the next version of Windows Mobile that will keep those handhelds worth holding. We already know that Crossbow is that next version and there are some new features of course. Here’s my question to you:

What features aren’t currently in Windows Mobile that you’d like to see in Crossbow?

Me personally: I’d like to see native Java support for more dynamic web pages. Speaking of web pages, I’d also like to see some of the great features in Opera and other mobile browsers to be part of IE Mobile. How about you?