Hong Kong Phooey

Pic from pocketables

pocketables posted a thorough write-up on the new version of Microsoft Origami 2.0 which features application such as the Origami Central, Origami Now and Touch Settings.  Although there had been quite some flaws to the design to the HTC Shift, the write-up on the first look to the Microsoft Origami 2.0 is definitely worth the read.  Link to article here.

Source - pocketables

Source - TechnologyGuide

Press Release from Microsoft below, link to full article here.

LAS VEGAS— April 1, 2008 —Windows Mobile is improving smartphones to better meet people’s rapidly expanding work and personal needs, Microsoft Corp. today announced. At CTIA Wireless 2008, the company unveiled the newest version of Internet Explorer Mobile, which adds desktop-grade Web browsing to Windows Mobile phones. In addition, Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 6.1, an update for its Windows Mobile software that includes new time-saving features, easier phone navigation and management, and increased security safeguards.

“People want a single phone that’s flexible enough to meet their needs throughout their day, whether it’s connecting to work or your everyday life,” said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “The innovations we’ve added to our Windows Mobile software ultimately make it easier to manage your world.”

Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, delivers the keynote address at CTIA Wireless 2008, Las Vegas, April 1, 2008.

Click for high-res version.

“Microsoft is taking the necessary steps to broaden its consumer appeal while also addressing the complex mobile needs of the enterprise,” said Ben Bajarin, analyst with Creative Strategies. “Internet Explorer Mobile and Windows Mobile 6.1 demonstrate Microsoft’s ability to harness its technologies to bring tangible innovations and benefits to customers and partners.”

Updated Internet Explorer Mobile Brings the Quality of Desktop Web Browsing to Phones

The new version of Internet Explorer Mobile adds the ability to easily view full-screen Web pages and multimedia on the Web with a smartphone. By taking advantage of Internet Explorer 6 technologies and supporting established and upcoming industry standards such as H.264, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight, the updated Internet Explorer Mobile gives people a rich mobile Internet experience. The update will be available to mobile phone partners in the third quarter of 2008, with the first Windows Mobile phones using the new version expected to be available by the end of 2008.

Windows Mobile Update Drives Simpler Experience

Windows Mobile 6.1 features several key updates based on customer feedback, including the capability to make the most critical information readily available at a glance, quicker phone setup, and enhanced features adapted for the small screen. In addition, if coupled with System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 or Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Windows Mobile 6.1 provides the best experience for IT professionals to manage mobile phones for businesses.

Windows Mobile 6.1 will help people get more from their phones by bringing updates to what they care about most. With Windows Mobile 6.1 users will be able to accomplish the following:

• Stay up to date and share from a single location. Glance at and respond to notifications such as missed calls, upcoming appointments and new messages from the home screen as well as play music and share photos.
• Get up and running in minutes. From setting up e-mail, a Bluetooth headset or Wi-Fi, the new Getting Started Center makes the phone experience intuitive and simple.
• Save time with features adapted for the small screen. Easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of conversations through threaded text messaging. Zoom in on text or pictures, or view an entire Web page at once.
• Help keep business information protected. Support for System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 helps administrators manage phones similarly to a Windows-based PC or access company data that may be behind a firewall; and support for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 advanced mobile policies helps businesses manage and administer security for phones while enabling people to find, share, and use information no matter where they are.

Source - Microsoft PressPass

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “Killer applications for Windows Mobile PocketPC Phones”. Click here for the read.

Bet most of you instant message (IM) a lot or even on multiple platforms daily with your buddies. I for one uses meebo daily to IM my friends on MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, Jabber, ICQ and AIM (see my previous post on What is My Meebo). Apart from IMs, social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter had been springing up rapidly the past year or two. Now, imagine having them all under one application.

According to Tech Digest, “(oneConnect) It’s expected to be included in Yahoo’s Go 3.0 application by June this year. I was really impressed at how slick it is, and how neatly it presents the different information from all these different Web 2.0 feeds. There’s a Pulse feature that lets you see people’s profile updates and photo uploads too.”

Sounds too good to be true, but it seems like Yahoo still having problems with Microsoft and Facebook on the inclusion of Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger and Facebook in oneConnect. Guess we have to wait and see how this all turns out but no doubt the concept is neat and the interface looks sleek.

Great interview from the guys over at Gizmodo, 20 some minutes long and worth watching. It covers the following topic -

Part 1 - On the difference between Microsoft and Apple
Part 2 - On his changing public image
Part 3 - What he worries about most
Part 4 - Holy Crap: Did Bill Gates Just Say Windows Sucks?

Source - Gizmodo

Now this is fun watch.

Santa came early this year for those who uses Microsoft Office and been praying for online storage and sharing of documents. Microsoft just launched the Office Live Workspace which let users store, access, and share documents and files online and the workspace can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser and it’s FREE!!!

Features includes -

Anywhere Access

• Store 1000+ Microsoft Office documents in one place
• Access them from almost any computer with a Web browser
• No more flash drives or sending yourself documents via e-mail

Share With Others

• Invite people to your workspace
• You control who can view, comment, and edit your documents
• Stop manually merging versions from multiple people

Works With Microsoft Office

• Open and save files directly from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Synchronize contact, task, and event lists with Outlook
• No need to learn a new program

Sign up now for the beta over at Office Live, link here. For the quick movie link, click here.

Check out the Outlook 2007 sidebar gadget for Vista at Microsoft Outlook Team Blog, link here. I installed them and really loving it.

Yet another great article from Jeremiah Owyang’s Web Strategy. Catch his latest view on the Microsoft and Facebook deal, link here.

Guys at the PopularMechanics took a first look at the Microsoft Surface and have included a very nice video on how the Microsoft Surface works. Take a look at it, link here.

Illustration from PopularMechanics

If you noticed from the right side widget bar, our email address been changed to gadget@hkphooey.hk. Yes, we got our own domain name and the Microsoft Hosted Exchange this week and I’m just loving it. Imagine the hassle I have to go through in trying to get 1 desktop, 1 notebook, 1 UMPC and 2 PockerPC Phone in sync with my work desktop PC every day….now with the Hosted Exchange, I’m like a free man. Push email is another awesome invention and is another great Hosted Exchange features. If you wanna know more about Hosted Exchange, I just have the great intro article here from jkOnTheRun, Hosted Exchange 101: what is it and do you need it? (click to read)

Someone might ask, so what’s the cost? here’s the breakdown for reference.

Domain registration and subscription: HK$250/year (US$32)

Hosted Exchange: HK$88/month (US$11.3)

From Origami Project Team Blog, we learned that the long-awaited Microsoft Reader upgrade is finally out, link for download here. According to Microsoft,

“Microsoft Reader has been enhanced to take advantage of the unique capabilities of UMPC devices.

With the Microsoft Reader Optimized for Origami™ you get:

• Innovative content support: Enjoy thousands of Owner Exclusive eBooks on any Microsoft Reader 2.0 or higher enabled device.
• New touch screen navigation experience: Page turning and larger advanced navigation controls right at your fingertips!
• Updated Audible support: Listen to your favorite audio books using Microsoft Reader technology.
• Great on-screen readability: ClearType® display technology that makes text on screen crisper and easier to read than ever before. The rotate and resize features enable you to take full advantage of your Origami device in landscape and portrait modes.
• Dynamic reading features: Enhance your texts with highlighting, bookmarks, notes, and drawings. Plus, you can view your annotations and rename or erase any of them at any time. The inking features make it easy to add rich handwritten notes and sketches to your books.
• Great support for embedded graphics: Use the new pan and zoom feature to get a close-up view of graphics and pictures. Keep your zoomed view open on your desktop even as you page ahead in your book. “