I was asked about the ability to remotely access a Windows computer from a BlackBerry, and I admit I wasn’t up to speed on what solutions are available. I have tested various methods in the past, but I don’t access my PC desktops through a phone as a rule. It is not easy working with a large desktop on a small phone screen, but those who need this ability find it very useful. I know some system support folks who do this regularly, and it often saves them a trip to sit down in front of the computer. I started searching around the web for such a solution, and found the Remote Desktop Manager Plus (RDM+) from SHAPE Services that looks pretty useful.

RDM+ does indeed work with certain BlackBerry models (Storm included), but there are clients for other phones too. There are client apps for the iPhone/ iPod Touch, Windows Mobile, Java phones and the old Palm OS. There is no Android nor WebOS version that I could find. There is also a client to allow remotely connecting via another web-connected computer.

The program consists of one of the clients, and a host application for the computer to be remotely accessed. The host can work with any flavor of Windows, 7 included, and there is a Mac version. This means you can effectively work with any Mac or Windows computer, from almost any phone. That is a very powerful combination, and it looks to be a viable utility for those needing remote access from anywhere. I have not used it myself, but would love to hear from those who are using RDM+. The program is an expensive $40, but there is no subscription and this price includes all future upgrades.

The week marches on and today being Saturday means it is time to recap the recent happenings in the world of Windows Mobile. HTC is one of the biggest makers of smartphones on the planet, and their recent foray into the Android space has left many Windows Mobile enthusiasts a bit uneasy. CEO Peter Chou made it clear this week that WinMo fans have nothing to fear, as HTC will remember who brought them to the dance. He stated at a conference that they produced the advanced HD2 handset to “get excitement about Windows Mobile back,” and that as a company they must “take care of Windows Mobile.”

Speaking of HTC, this week they kicked off a major ad campaign that is designed to get their name in front of the consumer. The “Quietly Brilliant” campaign demonstrates how HTC phones can be integrated into consumer’s lives, and do the things they want to do. The ads show HTC handsets running Android and Windows Mobile to good effect, and mark HTC’s desire to become a household brand. This is a good thing for Windows Mobile, as HTC is still making good handsets on the platform.

Sprint is testing Windows Mobile 6.5 updates for the Touch Pro2 and “other Windows phones” for early next year. The carrier intends to make sure that that late model WinMo phones on the network get updated to the latest OS version. The testing process is underway, spelling good things for owners of the phones on the Sprint network in the U. S.

Android is the huge buzz these days, following on the heels of the Verizon Droid launch yesterday. HTC is the handset maker that was first on the Android train, and they have produced several models of phones bearing the Google OS. The company’s most impressive phone to date is not an Android phone, however, as the HD2 with the Snapdragon processor runs Windows Mobile 6.5. Rumors have swelled that HTC would be producing a version of the HD2 with Android, but HTC CEO Peter Chou put those rumors to bed in an interview with Forbes.

“We’re working hard on these kinds of products to get excitement about Windows Mobile back,”

“Technically, we could make the HD2 an Android phone, but I have to take care of Windows Mobile,” says Chou.

So no Android for the HD2, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the company didn’t produce something similar. They are no doubt feeling the squeeze in the Android space from Motorola and other companies producing handsets with the OS.

One of the most useful utilities on a smartphone with a camera is the ability to snap a photo of a business card and have it imported properly into a contact list on the phone. Windows Mobile 6.x phone owners can now do exactly that with DYMO CardScan. The process is drop-dead simple:

To use DYMO CardScan Mobile, after a user has taken a picture of any business card with a Windows^® smartphone camera, CardScan Mobile automatically inserts all information from the card into the proper fields in the phone’s contact list. The application works with Windows Mobile OS 6+ smartphones with a 2 mp or higher camera with autofocus. A CardScan business card scanner and software are not required to operate the application.

That’s all there is to it. CardScan Mobile can be obtained for $14.99 through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile on the phone.

Since we often hear about our U.S. focus, here’s one for the international crowd — HTC just outed a Windows Mobile 6.5 update for the Touch Diamond 2. The update is good in Germany, Denmark, UK, Sweden, Norway and Portugal. And it’s not just a simple upgrade of the 6.5 bits over 6.1, says the::unwired: it’s a full ROM wipe and flash deal. That means you’ll need to backup and restore your personal data, not to mention re-install any apps on your reborn Touch Diamond 2. Of course, you gain the Windows Mobile Market, support for My Phone and get to call your device a Windows Phone, not a Windows Mobile handset. Surely that’s worth the backup and restore effort, no?

You’ll need your phone’s IMEI number for the update and you can find the download on the HTC Europe support site. I see that HTC also has Windows Mobile 6.5 there for the Snap and Touch Pro 2 ready and waiting. See Europe? We haven’t forgotten about you!

Those of us involved in covering the smartphone world know HTC, the company behind such phones as the Hero, Touch Pro, Touch Pro 2, G1, myTouch 3G, and the list goes on and on. What most people don’t realize is that HTC is the third largest smartphone maker in North America. I have remarked on HTC’s campaign to remove the platform from the public’s eye by producing its own Sense UI that works on both Windows Mobile and Android phones. The production of its own UI has poised HTC for the next stage of the program to bring public awareness to its products — the “Quietly Brilliant” ad campaign that is kicking off this week.

The ad campaign is a serious effort by HTC to put its phones front and center in the public’s eye. The ads will center around the reality that the phone is “all about you,” and are designed to make everyone aware that HTC is a big player on the smartphone playing field. The campaign kicks off today in the UK and later this week in Asia and North America. HTC wants to touch the consumer with the philosophy that “you don’t need to get a phone, you need a phone that gets you.”

It is going to be fun to watch HTC try to remove the platform and the carriers from public awareness. It doesn’t want you to just buy a Sprint Hero — it wants you to get the HTC Hero that happens to run on the Sprint network.

The week marches on and today being Saturday means it is time to recap the recent happenings in the world of Windows Mobile. The HTC HD2 with the Snapdragon processor is looking more than ever like the WinMo phone to beat. More deets are appearing seemingly daily, and a recent video demonstration of the HD2 confirms that multitouch is alive and well on the phone. This might be the first WinMo phone with multitouch, which is just another reason why the HD2 is looking pretty darn sweet. The HD2 is expected to be released Nov. 11 in Europe.

Steve Ballmer confirmed this week that the next version of Windows Mobile, expected to be either WM7 or a mystery interim release 6.5.1, will pick up integration with the Zune to provide a more unified gadget line for Microsoft. An unconfirmed (by Microsoft) release 6.5.1 has been talked up around the web that addresses some shortcomings in the recently released WM6.5. Microsoft is not confirming this interim release.

Microsoft has been searching for members for the Windows Mobile team that can use WM7 to create custom interfaces for different mobile operators. The Microsoft group will “be working with mobile operators to deliver a unique windows mobile experience that seamlessly integrates the mobile operator’s services (such as voicemail services, video-on-demand services, and navigation services for instance).” It sounds like a unified look and feel to WM7 is not something we are likely to see next year when if finally arrives.

I have been harsh in the past at the Windows Mobile lack of a specific brand. I’ve detailed why that is – the many partners of Microsoft that want their specific phone to be unique. I’ve heard some say that Windows Mobile 7 would usher in a new era of a consistent user interface and rescue WinMo from “more of the same.” Istartedsomething just pointed out something that dashes what little hope I had for Windows Mobile 7.

“On one hand, every OEM and operator in the ecosystem wants to differentiate their product and this allows them an easy way to do so without resorting to changing the hardware which is more expensive. At the same time however it also means the same device across operators and all devices under the Windows Phone brand will have even less in common – adding more complexity to an already diluted ecosystem.”

Long’s comment comes after he discovered that MS has advertised for new talent to work on Windows Mobile 7 toward the following goal:

“The final responsibility of our group will be working with mobile operators to deliver a unique windows mobile experience that seamlessly integrates the mobile operator’s services (such as voicemail services, video-on-demand services, and navigation services for instance). Microsoft experimented with this back in 2007 with the introduction of the T-Mobile Shadow. That was a great success and with WM7 we will be expanding this effort to more operators. Because of this we will be working heavily on creating custom user interfaces, so passion around UI and graphics programming is a must.”

Did Windows Mobile 6.5 leave you wanting more? Hang in there — by all accounts, you’ll have to wait until the second half of 2010 for the next version, which is Windows Mobile 7. Or is it? Over at Download Squad I just read about newer Microsoft builds of WinMo 6.5 that are unofficially called version 6.5.1 by the user community. At first, I thought this was a version from the talented folks at XDA Developers, but as I dig around, it appears that Microsoft has created these newer builds.

Long Zheng has a few screenshots and I like what I see. For starters, some buttons and actions are down in a taskbar-like row on the bottom of the screen, providing more room for content. These look like icon-based actions, although some shots show labels in lieu of icons. The contacts app looks slightly refreshed, and some of the old-looking input screens also get a touch-up. Some of these builds have been leaked and packaged for specific devices, so Long recommends hitting up the XDA folks if you’re looking for something a little newer than the just-released Windows Mobile 6.5.

One of my issues with Microsoft’s mobile operating system is the lack of timely updates. I don’t see the same issue with Apple, Google, or Palm, for example. But this could be a positive sign that Redmond is finally looking to offer more incremental updates to its partner carriers or its customers.

The week marches on and today being Saturday means it is time to recap the recent happenings in the world of Windows Mobile. Version 6.5 has only been officially out for a short while but upgrades for existing phones are already starting to appear. Owners of the HTC Touch Pro2 and the Snap can hit up the company’s web site and get upgrading to 6.5. The upgrade is for European phones but may just work elsewhere too. As always with firmware upgrades, be aware your phone will get wiped out so backup your important stuff before doing this.

The HTC Pure is a phone with WM6.5 already installed, and those in the U.S. looking for a cheap Windows phone can pick one up for just a penny with a new service agreement. Yep, you’ll have to go through Amazon instead of the carrier but to get a snazzy new phone for a penny, who cares? The Pure is a full-featured Windows phone with a 3.2-inch screen, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, onscreen keyboard and a 5 MP camera just for starters.

Speaking of upgrades, the first smartphone to use the fast Snapdragon processor, the Toshiba TG01, also has a free upgrade to Wm 6.5. The Tg01 is the sleek phone from Toshiba that uses that snappy Snapdragon to power the gorgeous touchscreen. The upgrade to WM6.5 is for English, German and French versions of the Tg01.