Staying Live with your mobile
By
23/06/2006
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The team behind Windows Live Mobile. |
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At Singapore's Conrad Centennial hotel on June 19,
representatives from Microsoft shared with the media the future of
portable connectivity. Similar to the Windows Live desktop platform,
which is currently undergoing beta testing, future mobile devices based
on Windows Live Mobile will leverage on the pervasiveness of
the Internet to ensure that you will remain connected with vital people
and information no matter where you may be.
Chris
Sorensen, lead product manager for Microsoft
Mobile and Embedded Devices Division,
demonstrated the advantages of
Windows Live Mobile using a Windows Mobile 5 smartphone.
Though the current crop of Windows-based portables already have some
degree of connectivity, Windows Live Mobile pushes the connectivity
envelope with localized search features and Web-based contact and email
management.
Key features of Windows Live Mobile are:
RSS application to keep you updated on the latest news
Windows Live Search which provides localized information and
directions
Windows Live Mail gives Microsoft Outlook users a familiar
interface with the Web-based email management system
Windows Live Messenger further extends the functionality of
the current MSN Messenger by allowing emoticons as well as audio, data
and image file transfers
However, with such extensive connectivity also
comes a test
of
personal willpower. Microsoft intends to offer the "push" capabilities
of this platform to Telcos for targeted advertising. Though this may
result in consumer dollar savings if Telcos switch from access-based to
advertisement-based business models, the flip side may be that we could
be indunated with even more spam messages than we would care to handle.
Samsung
and Microsoft set up a Mobile Innovations lab in 2005, and the
Samsung i320n PDA phone is the result of this collaboration. Some
Windows Mobile 5.0 phones which will be compatible with Windows Live
Mobile are featured below.
| Model
name |
In a nutshell |
| Wow
factor: A quadband PDA-phone which went with the phone
numeric pad instead of a QWERTY keyboard.
Other
notable frills:
Quadband GSM support
240 x 320-pixel display
2-megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared and USB
miniSD expansion slot
|
 ASUS P305
| Wow
factor: Sucessor to the ASUS P505, the P305 is a 3G phone
with a 1.3-megapixel camera and multimedia buttons at the exterior.
Other
notable frills:
3G support
1.3-megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
Bluetooth, infrared and USB
miniSD expansion slot
|
 BenQ P51
| Wow
factor: An
upgrade from the older BenQ P50, the most notable feature of the P51 is
the
inclusion of a GPS radio in addition to Wi-Fi connectivity.
Other
notable frills:
Quadband GSM support
240 x 320-pixel display
1.3-megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared and USB
SD expansion slot
|
 Dopod 595
| Wow
factor: A 3G
smart phone based on the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform with push-mail
capabilities.
Other
notable frills:
3G support
Dual camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
|
 Dopod 838pro
| Wow
factor: The 3G
version of the older Dopod 838, the 838pro has a new black facade but
retains the sliding QWERTY keyboard.
Other
notable frills:
3G support
240 x 320-pixel display
2-megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared and USB
Sliding QWERTY keyboard
|
| Wow
factor: The much
anticipated Moto Q is an excellent phone which, unfortunately, lack
Wi-Fi connectivity.
Other
notable frills:
3G support
240 x 320-pixel display
1.3-megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
Bluetooth, infrared and USB
miniSD expansion slot
|
| Wow
factor: Sporting
a faster 520MHz processor and larger 192MB ROM from the O2
Atom, the XDA Atom Exec should be spiffier using the Windows Mobile 5.0
OS.
Other
notable frills:
Triband GSM support
240 x 320-pixel display
2-megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 5.0
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared and USB
FM radio
|
| Wow
factor: The ebony
Samsung i320n sports a nice QWERTY keyboard, though Wi-Fi and UMTS
support is missing.
Other
notable frills:
Triband GSM support
240 x 320-pixel display
QWERTY keyboard
Windows Mobile 5.0
Bluetooth and USB
TransFlash expansion slot
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