- My romance with the Palm Treo Pro
-
After a lot of whining, begging and stalking DonK, I finally managed to get my hands on a loaner Palm Treo Pro for Tech.Ed next week.
I've been using a Treo 750 as my primary device for a little over a year now, so for me this was an exciting moment... I've been thinking a lot recently about replacing the dependable old 750 with a HTC Touch Pro (I love the Diamond, but for me a keyboard is necessary as I do quite a bit of email when I'm on the road), but when I heard the recent buzz about the Treo Pro I was keen to learn more.
Palm Treo Pro on the left, Palm Treo 750 on the right
First impressions are that the Pro is sleeker and more modern... it is slightly smaller, quite a bit thinner (it feels great in the pocket), and weighs a little bit less.
The Pro is less bulky then the 750, and the keys are beautiful to type with
The screen is sharp and clear, and the buttons have a really nice "rubbery" feel. I have big fingers, so keyboard buttons can make or break a phone for me (in fact the keys were the main reason I originally traded in a Samsung Blackjack for the Treo 750). The keyboard is the same size, while the keys are "flatter" (i.e. they don't stick out as far) and the rubbery texture makes them a dream to use.
There are extra buttons for Email, Calendar, Wireless and camera. Also gone are the left/right "menu" buttons - instead the Pro uses the base of the touch-screen for this.
Rear view - the Pro is simple and shiny
The Pro runs Windows Mobile 6.1 which is great, but I actually already had this running on my 750 (read my thoughts here). However this device is much faster and has more memory than the 750, so things feel much snappier.
Nice additions are Wi-fi and GPS (although the installed Telstra Whereis GPS software isn't yet ready... but Telstra aren't launching the Pro for another few weeks I think which could explain that).
Battery life is great (2 days so far, with about 30% left - that's with plenty of calls, bluetooth headset in the car, and short periods of wi-fi).
It has a good quality camera, and of course I had to record some video to try it out.....
I know it's stupid.. I was at the supermarket, and I was hungry :)
I'm planning to record some videos using the Pro at Tech.Ed next week which will be going on my blog.. keep an eye out. And of course I'll be doing a number of mobility demos, particularly at Smackdown! (*SMACK!*), so if you're there you'll get to see this device in action.
In summary - I love the Treo Pro, and unless the HTC Touch Pro blows my pants off then this is likely to be my next smartphone. I'm just a bit sad, because I really don't want to give it back after Tech.Ed :(
</Johann>
- Windows Mobile @ TechEd - Security & Common Criteria
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RickA picked-up that I had missed one session off the TechEd Mobile sessions post - and it's a really important one too.
Security & Windows Mobile is always a key discussion point. In March Windows Mobile 5 (+MSFP) and 6 received Common Criteria EAL2+ certification, in August Windows Mobile 6.1 complete evaluation for EAL2+ and is now listed on the Defence Signal Directorate's Evaluated Product List (http://www.dsd.gov.au/infosec/evaluation_services/epl/epl.html). Common Criteria Certification is recognised across 24 countries, and the Windows Mobile platform is now at the same EAL level as RIM's solution (BBWS 4.1.0, 4.2.0, 4.2.1, 4.2.2 & BES 4.1 & 4.2).
The testing for this certification was performed in Canberra, and we are privileged to have one of the key personnel involved in the Common Criteria testing lab, Aleks Lubiejewski, to present this session.
| SEC309 | Thursday 14:00 | Windows Mobile Security Architecture | Windows Mobile 5, 6 and 6.1 are now Common Criteria EAL2+ certified. Understand from the licensed evaluation facility that performed the Common Criteria testing, what the security profile of Windows Mobile is so you can fully understand how to use the range of security features offered on Windows Mobile powered Smartphones and PDAs. |
DonK
- Windows Mobile @ TechEd Australia - the Hands on Labs
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we recently posted the list of sessions at TechEd 2008 Australia this year, and promised a follow-up with the Hands-on-Labs that will be available.
So to complete the "Windows Mobile guide to TechEd 2008", here is a list of the Windows Mobile focused Hands-on-Labs;
| HOL ID | Name | Description |
| MBL01-HOL | Building a Compelling Windows Mobile User Interface | In this lab you will learn how to build great looking Windows Mobile applications using the rich user interface capabilities of the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 3.5. |
| MBL02-HOL | Building Better Windows Mobile Applications: What's New in Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 3.5 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 | This lab is intended for developers who are interested in working with the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 3.5 which provides new user interface features, improved communications capabilities through the Windows Communication Foundation and compression libraries, simplified platform identification, and of course LINQ. |
| MBL03-HOL | Introduction to Building Line-of-Business (LOB) Applications on Windows Mobile | In this self-paced lab you will learn how to reuse your existing Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft .NET Framework skills to develop a line-of-business (LOB) application for a Windows Mobile-based device by using the .NET Compact Framework 3.5, Windows Mobile 6 SDK and Microsoft SQL Server Compact 3.5. |
| MBL04-HOL | Eternal Application: How to Build for the Future | In this lab you will learn how to develop Windows Mobile applications that have the longevity to keep working well into the future and that also have the flexibility to capitalize on the opportunities that become available as new device designs evolve. You will also learn to utilize the connectivity features available from these devices. |
| MBL05-HOL | Building an Application Using Windows Communications Foundation (WCF) and Store and Forward Transports in the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework | In this lab you will learn how to use the WCF Store-and-Forward transport to overcome the issues of device reachability and identity to communicate between a mobile device and a desktop computer, and between multiple mobile devices. |
| MBL06-HOL | Using and Understanding the Hopper Tool for Stability/MTTF Testing | The Microsoft Hopper test utility is designed for just this purpose; Hopper tests the stability of your Windows Mobile application by putting the application under very heavy stress through random and rapid interaction with the application. In this lab you will learn how to use the features of the Hopper utility to improve the stability and long-term usability of your applications. |
| MBL07-HOL | Building Real-World-Ready Windows Mobile Applications with the Microsoft Device Emulator 3.0 and the Device Emulator Manager Automation API | Mobile applications must run within a far more dynamic environment than that faced by desktop applications. Assuring that your application remains stable and reliable within this dynamic environment requires that you include environmental changes in your application test plan. In this lab you will learn how to use the Device Emulator 3.0 and Device Emulator Manager Automation API to develop automated test scenarios that verify your application’s reliability under a wide variety of environmental conditions including power changes, abrupt loss of connectivity, phone calls, SMS messages, and much more. |
| MBL08-HOL | Advanced Virtual Memory Management: Clever Solutions for Managing This Precious Resource on Windows Mobile Devices | Physical and Virtual Memory is a very limited resource on Mobile devices. This lab will dive deep into how to identify and solve limited memory issues. Your application data is very important and running out of memory is not an option. This lab will teach you how to manage this precious resource to make your application a winner. Learn how to reduce your footprint, relocate allocations, and increase overall device stability. Also learn how to acquire, maintain, and clean up physical memory on the device for optimum application performance. Testing methods, tools, and tricks on how to identify common mistakes that lead to memory leaks will also be covered. |
| MBL09-HOL | Capitalising on the Mobile Web with Microsoft Internet Explorer Mobile | Although frequently thought of for its rich-client capabilities, Windows Mobile is also a powerful platform for Mobile Web applications. In this lab, learn how to use Microsoft Visual Studio and Internet Explorer Mobile to build highly responsive mobile applications. Much of the power of Internet Explorer comes through its rich support of the technologies that make up the Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) programming model, support that has been further enhanced with the release of Windows Mobile 6. |
| MBL11-HOL | Improving the Performance of Your Application Using Diagnostic Tools in the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework | This lab will walk you through improving the performance of a sample application. The focus of the lab is to demonstrate how to use performance diagnostics tools provided with Microsoft .NET Compact Framework version 3.5 to find bottlenecks, optimisation opportunities, and memory leaks. These tools include .NET Compact Framework Remote Performance Monitor and Heap Viewer and CLR Profiler. In the process, many managed code performance concepts will also be covered and you will be guided through fixing real issues. |
| MBL56-HOL | Using Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (Part 1 of 2) | The focus of this lab is to utilize basic System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM) RC device management functions such as enrolling a mobile device, creating device policies, and performing device wipes. |
| MBL52-HOL | Using Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (Part 2 of 2) | The focus of this lab is to utilize basic System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM) RC device management functions. |
| MBL53-HOL | Integrating the New Mobility Features of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Windows Mobile | SharePoint Server 2007 improves worker productivity and effectiveness through simplified collaboration and document sharing. Historically, these features were only available to users with a desktop or notebook computer. As the workforce becomes increasingly mobile, maintaining an effective workforce requires that users be able to collaborate from their mobile devices as well. In this lab you will learn how to set up a SharePoint site, make it available to mobile devices, and access that site from a Windows Mobile device. |
| MBL54-HOL | Introduction to Building Line-Of-Business (LOB) Applications on Windows Mobile | In this lab you will learn how to use your existing Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft .NET Framework skills to develop a line-of-business (LOB) application for a Windows Mobile-based device. You will begin with the basics of building, deploying, and debugging a Windows Mobile application using Visual Studio 2008. You will then be led through the steps of developing the application to effectively address LOB business needs on a mobile device including using SQL Server Compact 3.5 to provide persistent storage capabilities. Finally, you will enhance the application to monitor device resource usage to ensure that the application works effectively with available power and network connectivity. |
| MBL55-HOL | Mobilising Microsoft Office Live Communications Server | In this lab learn how to tap into the power of Windows Live Communications from your Windows Mobile 6 device. This lab provides you with hands-on experience setting up access to and working with Windows Live Communications from a Windows Mobile device. |
That's a total of 15 labs, and along with the 13 breakout sessions means you can have a wall to wall Mobile experience at TechEd Australia 2008.
If you haven't registered yet, follow the link : http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/ - you still have time.
DonK
- Embedded Developers - TechEd PreDay
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I have been fortunate over the last 3 years to see the opportunity for creating very different solution experiences by utilising the Windows Embedded platform;
- Windows XP Embedded : ability to deploy a desktop developed application on full X86 based hardware, with a specially customised OS based on the XP code base. Support for compact flash as media, and more.
- Windows Embedded CE: the multi CPU, real-time OS for small footprint, low power or mobile solutions.
For XP Embedded areas like Point of Sale, ATM, Digital Signage, Home Automation Transportation and more are solutions I have seen people building.
With Windows CE I have seen GPS/Navigation, in-vehicle digital video & telematics systems, and even a braille interface PDA system out of NZ!
If you work in the Embedded industry, have a software solution that could benefit from a custom platform or are interested in getting started with Windows Embedded with some "hands-on" training, then the Embedded Developer Pre-Day is the one event this year for you. If you don’t, you may want to come along and be inspired by one of the fastest growing areas for development today.
We have Mike Hall, The Architect, Windows Embedded, delivering the keynote for the Embedded Dev Day, via Live Meeting. Delivering the hands on training will be one of the Windows Embedded CE product team, plus some local XP Embedded experts.
Check it out, for only $220, and limited to 40 places, this is likely to sell out soon.
DonK
- Windows Mobile @ TechEd Australia
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Windows Mobile & Mobility solutions has a strong list of sessions at TechEd 2008 Australia, we wanted to address the question of
"I want to get across as much of Mobility & Windows Mobile as I can this year, what are the sessions I should attend, and how do they fit together?"
Once you have registered for TechEd 2008, you will be able to plan your schedule via the Session Builder tool. If you select "Mobility" from the "Track" options you will be presented the list of sessions - but to help you out in advance, here they are with some comment on how they all fit. We will throw up another post covering the Hands-on-Labs that will be available, and together these will be your "Windows Mobile guide to TechEd 2008".
| Day | Time | Session ID | Title | How it fits |
| Wed | 10:15 | SEC310 | Mythbusters - The Top 10 Windows Mobile Security Issues | The WM security overview session.
Session 2 for the Security guys |
| Wed | 14:15 | UNC117 | Windows Mobile: Overview & Roadmap | The intro to WM @ TechEd session - this will give you the starting point for all things Windows Mobile.
Session 1 for all WM folks. |
| Wed | 16:00 | CLM307 | Device Management Solutions Offered by Microsoft | What are the different Microsoft technologies I can use to manage a Windows Mobile fleet in my company.
Session 2 for the Management crowd. |
| Wed | 16:00 | DAT284 | SQL Compact Edition: Connection not required | If you have applications using SQL Server how do these application leverage the Compact Edition on Windows Mobile.
Session 3 for the App Dev & Database crowd. |
| Wed | 17:30 | UNC219 | Office on the Beach | Panel session for all the crowd. Will give you insite to where the industry is heading from a range of speakers. |
| Wed | 18:45 | | Ask the Experts | Come and talk to the Mobility speakers, ask them the questions you need answers to this TechEd. |
| Thur | 10:15 | DEV350 | Introducing Silverlight for mobile applications | As you are building Silverlight applications, how to ensure they will be ready for Mobile devices.
Session 4 for the App Dev crowd. |
| Thur | 11:45 | DEV215 | Windows Mobile 101: Cut the Fruit & Get the Cream | The "getting started" sessions for Windows Mobile app dev, how to take your existing skills to Mobile, or what skills are needed.
Session 2 for the App Dev crowd. |
| Thur | 14:00 | DEV370 | Mobile App Architecture & WM LOB Solution Accelerator | The key session for application architects. Session 5 for the App Dev crowd. |
| Thur | 15:45 | CLM315 | System Center Mobile Device Manager Deep Dive 1 - Device Management | Session 3 for the Management crowd, deep dive on device management |
| Fri | 08:30 | BIN281 | BI in my Pocket | How do you get BI out to Windows Mobile.
Session 4 for the Database crowd. |
| Fri | 10:15 | OFCCT202 | Pocket Office - take your office with you | Session 5 for the Dev crowd, session 3 for the Mobile UC crowd. How to extend Office apps to Windows Mobile. Will be held in the Cabanna area. |
| Fri | 11:45 | CLM316 | System Center Mobile Device Manager Deep Dive 2 - Mobile VPN | Session 4 for the Management crowd. A deep dive on the Mobile VPN solution in SCMDM. |
| Fri | 14:00 | UNC220 | Mobility Smackdown! | The session of sessions for Mobile @ TechEd - a "must attend" for all parts of the Mobile crowd, with plenty of excitement to end the Mobility stream. |
This is the order as it stands today (26th August) DonK
- Winning at TechEd08
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This year, TechEd is bigger, more energetic, and delivers more choice than ever before. The more I work with Business Groups across Microsoft, the more I hear about their plans to Connect with delegates. There seem to be a lot of competitive games being planned for the conference.
Whilst it’s great to see the energy and creativity to find ways to make learning fun, there are some pretty serious prizes that delegates can win too. A lot of these, will of course be in that session of sessions, the Mobile Smackdown!! *SMACK!*
For the first time this year, we’re allowing attendees to win premium tickets to the session. To win one of these, you need to answer a question correctly in one of the other Mobility Sessions, or get down to the Mobility Stand on the Showcase. There are 4 to win in each of the sessions, and you can only win 1!! So a unique, exclusive ticket to the Smackdown *SMACK!*
The ticket has 3 benefits:
- It allows you to jump the queue to arguably the busiest session at TechEd
- It shows everyone that you know your stuff when it comes to Mobility
- It enters you into the running to win a brand new Windows Mobile Device!!
Did I mention that there are heaps of other prizes, including an XBox360, Stereo Bluetooth Headsets, oh and other handsets which can be won by random lucky attendees. And of course, swag, heaps of swag.
There’ll be shoot outs, demo offs, and surprise visits.
So, register for TechEd08, check out the Virtual Mobility Track, get along to those sessions, and win one of the exclusive tickets to the Smackdown! *SMACK* – or – Just come in the doors, but you’ll want to be early.
I Love it when a plan comes together
R42
- TechEd Interview series: WMOz talks to James McCutcheon
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James McCutcheon is another of the Australian Windows Mobile MVPs, and will be presenting a number of sessions at TechEd Australia.
RickA caught up with James and interviewed him for the WMOz blog;
Part 1: James talks about his background, and the first of his sessions @ TechEd
Part 2: James discusses his other two sessions
Part 3: What is James involved in today, and what is his phone of choice
For more information & to register @ TechEd visit http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/
Check out the Sydney Windows Mobile User Group (SWMUG) at http://www.swmug.org/
RickA, DonK
- TechEd Interview series: WMOz talks to Dr Neil Roodyn
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Dr Neil Roodyn is one of the key Windows Mobile MVPs, and a regular presenter at TechEd, ReMIX, and other developer, Live Services and Mobile focused events. Dr Neil will be delivering a number of sessions at TechEd Australia this year, and RickA caught up with Dr Neil when he was in the Microsoft Sydney office for this interview.
We've split this interview into 3 bit sized chunks for you;
Part 1: Dr Neil, who is he, and what is he presenting @ TechEd
Part 2: What does Dr Neil really do?
Part 3: What is Dr Neil's phone of choice today
For more information on & to register for TechEd Australia go to http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/
RickA & DonK
- TechEd Interview series: Amit Chopra, Visual Studio team
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In the second post of the series of interview with our TechEd speakers, this is an interview with Amit Chopra, who runs part of the Visual Studio team, covering developer tools focused on mobility.
Amit will be talking at TechEd Australia on web application and Silverlight development for Windows Mobile.
DonK
- Control Your Technology Tips & Tricks #2
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Yo. Ok if the phone rings and if you are my mother then you will undoubtedly run over burning coals to answer it before the calling party hangs up. If you are calling me we would both be lucky if it was not on 'silent profile'. Most will be somewhere in between. So what am I on about this time??
Well as we start converging more ways to contact an individual like a voice call, SMS, email and/or instant messaging (to name some of the ways my phone is connected) then we as consumers of the technology need to start to control when we want it to buzz, sing or cry. As responsible promoters of technology I also think we need to help educate our customers on how to make it work for them in a positive way and not turn our fans into stressed out ADD corporate victims!
With Windows Mobile devices using Direct Push messaging you should know that you are in control of the times your Exchange server will push data to you. First go to Active Sync which is the application with the green circle with two opposing arrows icon.
Under menu select 'Schedule'
'As Item Arrives' means you are using Direct Push as opposed to a time synch schedule or a manual synch. At the bottom of the screen select 'Peak Times'
Here is your devices schedule for what it considers peak times and more importantly when Direct Push will send updated data to your device making it react accordingly.
I am not great with morning have to's so I will reset this to start at 9am. Also I think 7pm is long enough for a regular work day - don't you?
Well there are a lot of things to consider when managing your time in a modern work environment. I hope this post takes you a step closer to getting your technology to work for you and not the other way around.
Tested on Exchange 2007 and the HTC Diamond Windows Mobile Professional device
Enjoy more with what you have
rA
Community Server Control Panel
- TechEd interview series: WMOz talks to "The Embedded Architect"
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While I (DonK) was in Redmond I had a meeting with Mike Hall, Architect for Windows Embedded. Mike was kind enough to give me some time to also record an interview, asking Mike about his background, what "the Architect" does day to day and discussing Microsoft Robotics Studio.
Why did I do this? In my previous role with Microsoft Australia I had the privilege of meeting Mike at a number of MEDC's, plus to host him in ANZ for 2 local MEDC's. This year Microsoft is arranging a Pre-Day to TechEd purely for Embedded Developers, called the Embedded Dev Day, and Mike will be coming in via Live Meeting to present the keynote address - so the interviews will give you a taste of what Mike see's happening in the Embedded world.
You can register or get more information for the Embedded Dev Day at http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/pre_days.aspx
To make it easier for you to consume the interview there are 4 parts of approximately 5mins length each.
1. Mike, his background & the job of the Architect:
2. Mike comments on the sorts of devices he's seen people build using the Windows Embedded OS family:
3. Embedded systems & Robotics Studio - Mike had shared with me (off camera) where he saw Robotics Studio heading, and it was so interesting I just had to ask again (on camera):
4. The opportunity for developers & where to get started:
So if you want to
- hear direct from Mike
- get hands on depth training for Windows Embedded CE or Windows Embedded Standard (XP Embedded)
& also
- hear on where the local industry is heading from the CTO for Embedded Systems @ NICTA, Dr Chris Nicol
then register for the pre-day here : http://www.microsoft.com.au/teched/pre_days.aspx
DonK
- TechEd Interview Vodcast Series
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TechEd is fast approaching, and we've got a range of sessions planned for Mobility, see this previous post for details.
In addition to the Mobility stream at main TechEd, there will also be a pre-day for Windows Embedded developers, you can register for this at the TechEd Australia 2008 site.
Over the next few weeks we'll be posting interviews with a number of the speakers & MS people involved in the virtual Mobility stream at TechEd Australia 2008. We wanted to let you meet the speakers before TechEd, and to get an understanding of the sessions they will be presenting.
Interviewees include: Dr Neil Roodyn, James McCutcheon, Amit Chopra for the Mobility stream at main TechEd, plus Mike Hall & Sing Wee who will be presenting at the Embedded Developer pre-day.
If you haven't registered for TechEd 2008 then follow the link above to do so. Feel free to leave a comment to let us know your thoughts on TechEd 2008 and what we've got planned for the Mobility stream.
DonK
- System Center Mobile Device Manager Product team blog
-
In April this year we released System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM), enabling the management of mobile devices in the same way that companies manage their PC fleet - leveraging Active Directory & Group Policies. SCMDM is designed to integrate the management of Windows Mobile devices with Windows Server System. Today SCMDM supports Windows Mobile 6.1 devices, incorporating device & security management, and a secure VPN from the Windows Mobile 6.1 device.
For getting started with SCMDM head to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scmdm/default.aspx
If you want to keep up to date with SCMDM directly from the product team & interact with them, then subscribe to their blog : http://blogs.technet.com/scmdm/
DonK
- Life on the road by Windows Mobile
-
The blog posts have been delayed over the last week, not because I'm slack (well, some may argue the point), but due to some overseas travel. So that shouldn't impact a bloggers life?? For a newbie blogger it does, especially when your at a conference in Atlanta USA, and the hotel you're staying in delivers slower than 54k dial-up to your room, and RPC/HTTPs won't even connect it's so slow.
That was the case for me all last week, and the last 3 days in Seattle were back to back meetings - with the Embedded team and some Windows Mobile guys. I've grabbed some video interviews with a few people around MS head office (Vis Studio team, MDM team, Embedded team) and will post those over the next week +.
In all the madness of this I was able to stay in touch with work thanks to WM and Exchange Server/Messenger client. I turned off direct push so I wouldn't get hit by a big phone bill, and was syncing mail every couple of hours, and replying to the urgent items. I kept in contact with the family by voice, some SMS, and the occasional Live Messenger chat from my phone !!
I've really been thankful for my TouchDual, WM6 & Live Messenger.
DonK
PS - there'll be a small deluge of posts as I get back into the swing of things after the 21+hrs of travel from Seattle to Sydney.
- Mobile UC with the HTC Shift
-
For the last couple of weeks I've been playing working with the HTC Shift, an Origami 2.0 Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC).
The Shift differs quite significantly from other "really small" PCs like the Asus Eee PC, which are really just laptops made smaller. Because HTC are traditionally a maker of smartphones, they have introduced some quite unique, but very useful, capabilities into the Shift.
The Shift has an integrated 3G modem and a feature called SnapVUE, which is a customised version of Windows Mobile 6. What this means is that the Shift can turn on instantly and allow quick/easy access to email, calendar, contacts, clock and weather. Because SnapVUE is actually WM6 it supports Exchange Activesync for push email and Hotmail, both at the same time, and the battery lasts for days on end.
However when SnapVUE isn't enough, with the push of a button the Shift fires up a full version of Vista Business Edition, allowing you to run any Windows app. I've installed Office/Outlook 2007, Office Communicator, Groove, Live Messenger, Live Writer (I am writing this post from the Shift now!), Live Mesh and Digsby.
_thumb.jpg)
SnapVUE home screen
The device only has 1Gb RAM and a 40Gb HDD so this certainly isn't a full laptop or desktop replacement, but you can perform most day-to-day tasks pretty easily.
The Shift also has Origami 2.0 pre-installed, which provides an optimised touch-screen interface to the most common Windows features. This includes Internet Explorer, a RSS reader, email, Media Player, and an awesome feature called Tiles.
Internet Explorer and the RSS Reader are both awesome apps - running full-screen and allowing you to drag the page around with your finger.
Web browser and RSS reader in Origami 2.0
![clip_image002[5]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B5%5D_thumb.jpg)
RSS reader
![clip_image002[7]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B7%5D_thumb.jpg)
Media Player
Tiles allows you to create your own dashboard of information - email, RSS, notes, and web images.
![clip_image002[9]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B9%5D_thumb.jpg)
My Dashboard - including up-to-date images of Sydney traffic that I regularly encounter
![clip_image002[11]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B11%5D_thumb.jpg)
When I tap on Harbour Bridge
![clip_image002[13]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B13%5D_thumb.jpg)
Tile setup
But web browsing and music aside it is important that this device can be used as a work tool, which of course for me means Unified Communications.
The Shift seamlessly roams between Wi-fi and 3G - so when I'm at home or in the office I use my WLAN, but on the road it automatically connects to HSDPA.
![clip_image002[15]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B15%5D_thumb.jpg)
Communications Manager
![clip_image002[17]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B17%5D_thumb.jpg)
At home
![clip_image002[19]](http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/wmoz/WindowsLiveWriter/MobileUCwiththeHTCShift_12486/clip_image002%5B19%5D_thumb.jpg)
On the road
The Shift also has an embedded webcam and high-quality microphone/speakers, and ships with a decent headset (as well as supporting Bluetooth for wireless headsets) - so this device is great for VoIP and video calls.
I use Office Communicator (which uses a VPN-less TLS or SSL connection) all day for IM, VoIP and video calls - and on this device the experience is actually pretty good.
When I travel I've also been doing full-screen Live Messenger video calls back home - every time the frame-rate has been great, the picture quality crisp, and the audio clear.
Full-screen video call (my thanks to the lovely Stephen Edmonds)
So although this device is somewhat limited in the CPU/RAM/HDD department and can't replace my laptop in every situation, it does mean that I now have a very small and lightweight UMPC which I can happily travel with (I can do email in an economy class seat without crippling myself!) and do the majority of my work and all of my communications.
In fact - later this month I'm going to Seattle for 10 days and the only device I'm taking with me is the Shift!!!!
The HTC Shift really is a useful toy tool.
</Johann>
