October 23, 2007
It’s official.
Windows Mobile is no longer a dev-centric platform. Network admin monekys rejoice!
Since its inception, 99% of the attention about Windows Mobile has focused on dev and dev issues. And general sexxay-ness issues, as always.
Specifically tho, the management side of Windows Mobile hasn’t received much attention at all.
Sure there are 3rd-party application suites to take care of that…notably Good Technology’s services and MobiControl.
But MS just gave the 800 pound gorilla stamp of approval, and has put the management of Windows Mobile devices front and center by announcing System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008.
Slated for release in first half of FY2008 (obviously), SCMDM makes Windows Mobile devices a true business platform, primarily by making them…
- Wholly a part of Active Directory
- Group Policy enabled
- Fully OTA provisionable and manageable
Jason Langridge’s webcast this afternoon, which will be available via recorded archive within 48 hours, gave an excellent 100–level overview.
No official word on pricing yet.
|| posted by chris under business, hardware, it pro, mobility, utility belt || comments (0) ||
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August 28, 2007
I’m blaming it on Palm!
Thanks to that sweet sweet hunk of electronic crack called a Treo 750 I’ve been carrying in my pocket for a couple months…
I’m utterly and completely addicted to Bluetooth now.
Sure, I’ve had a Bluetooth headset for awhile, just like every other human being on the planet. I don’t know about you, but it disturbs me greatly when I get panhandled in a major metro by a guy talking into a Bluetooth headset. Who also happens to be wearing better shoes than me.
For me tho, Bluetooth had always been one of those “more promise, less filling” technologies. I just didn’t see the point, nor the serious uptake.
It wasn’t until I switched to the Treo that I went whole hog with Bluetooth. Mainly because using a sync cable sucks so bad with the Treo.
But using ActiveSync via Bluetooth? Now that is some sweet sweet candy right there.
Since then, it’s been full-on Bluetooth-on-Bluetooth action day and night.
So what’s been riding over BT on my rig?
- ActiveSync
- Treo 750 tethering
- Pharos GPS
- Motorola headset
- Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000
So, imagine my dismay when my trusty MS Transceiver 3.0 for Bluetooth suddenly and inexplicably gave up the ghost. While in Orlando last week. It had come with the WNPM8K, so I was suddenly without a Bluetooth uplink for my laptop.
After the transceiver kicked the bucket…I was shaking from BT withdrawals like a heroin addict about 12 hours after his last fix.
Which kinda peeved me off. For all the hoopla and huzzah about Bluetooth for so damn long…why isn’t a BT receiver standard in lappys by now? For that matter, why not in desktops too?
Sure, the hardware replacement line from MS kicks much ass. But the WNP8K is back-ordered, so I was getting the shakes something awful bad.
I’d been thinking about ditching my Wireless Laser Keyboard 6000 in favor of a BT-enabled set anyway, as the BT juggernaut had rolled on here at the Funcave. So I jetted out the other day and picked up a Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000. Which is fine, and will give me an extra BT transceiver (once the replacement arrives from MS support). That means one for permanent placement in the dock, and one I can keep in the “Have Wheels, Will Travel” case.
Just not sure about the feel of the WED7K. That Kate Moss-anorexic design might be fine for laying back on the couch…but not so sure how it will be for long typing/work sessions.
Even if I do take to it, I’m thinking long & hard about a bump up to the WED8K, for one simple reason: backlit keys. That makes nighttime work, like now, much easier.
And I’m seriously thinking of adding a Motorola BT stereo headset too. Since the stereo headset includes a built-in mic, I can use it for client calls, and also enjoy the White Stripes “Ball & Biscuit” in-between, as it was meant to be enjoyed.
Now that’s what I’m talking about!
|| posted by chris under hardware, mobility, tech hand, travel, utility belt || comments (0) ||
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August 13, 2007
This post goes out to the BSDA, KYSBSUG, CinPA, and anybody else I’ve spoken to about Windows Mobile 6.
Here’s something that will knock your shurikens off…
Check out this wicked awesome graphical navigation tool for the Windows Mobile 6 SDK.
Don’t panic.
This graphic’s hotlinked to the original in MSDN.
Suh-weet work by John Kennedy. Thanks to Loke for the heads-up.
|| posted by chris under index, mobility, more cowbell, thumbs up, utility belt || comments (0) ||
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August 5, 2007
I’m talking to the Birmingham Software Developers Association (BSDA) this Thursday, August 9, at 6:30 in the p to the m.
I’ll be talking about resources, tools and tips available to help you more quickly and efficiently develop solutions for Windows Mobile. And yes, there will be some live demo action happening.
Attendees who pre-register via the meeting site will earn an extra chance to win a giveaway item at the meeting. So if you have even a sliver of interest in developing for Windows Mobile and are within striking distance of Birmingham, come join us and get your mobile dev on!
Shoutout and big huge thanks to John Dystopos Morse, leader of the Magic City Flickr Group, for permission to use his original kickass pic of Vulcan, with just a bit of the Funcave’s own particular brand of ‘chop.
|| posted by chris under community, hardware, mobility, travel, utility belt, virtualization || comments (0) ||
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July 23, 2007
Talking with a friend today, who was asking about graphic editing tools. Thought this might be helpful to a few other folks.
All the graphical magic here at the Funcave happens using Adobe’s hideously affordable Photoshop Elements AKA PSE.
Here are some recent gems that were created using PSE:
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PSE is an important tool for my business, since it allows me to open .EPS files and other high-resolution finished graphics I receive from our designer, so I can resize and save them in other formats if needed, without having to bug him for those mods.
If you’re not taking something to press, PSE’s a steal at $80–90. Watch for decent rebates that get offered every now and then to make it an even sweeter deal.
The only thing about PSE is that, since it’s sold to the home market, the good stuff is kinda buried by default. Make sure you’re digging into the best features by doing this:
On the opening splash menu, click Edit and Enhance Photos
When the Editor opens, be sure you are using the Full Edit interface.
That way you get access to all the controls and editing tools available in PSE.
Otherwise, you’ll get the Quick Fix editing interface, which is the uber-dumbed-down interface. Honestly, they should call this one Welcome to the Bedwetter Edition.
You still need to invest some time in learning PSE to get the most out of it. PSE includes a handy link to online tutorials and videos on its opening splash menu…
Adobe has tons of tutorials and information on their website. The larger community of Photoshop users offers a lot of info as well. Thankfully, most techniques work the same in both full-blown PS and PSE.
If you are creating something that you plan to take to press, PSE won’t do color separations, and some other uber-advanced stuff. You’ll have to either pony for the full version of Photoshop, which is hella expensive, or find someone who has it to generate your color sep. But that’s not really the kind of situation we’re talking about here.
If you’re a super cheapskate, you can always use GIMP, the open source wonder. Personally, I could never get into a groove with GIMP’s interface. The time it took me to create a given chop was cut by 80% once I had Magnetic Lasso and the Wonder Twins (Magic Lasso and Magic Eraser) in PSE at my disposal.
|| posted by chris under media, tech hand, utility belt || comments (0) ||
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