Sorry for the very old musical reference; I couldn't resist ;-)

I am in St. Louis, MO today for client meetings. Fortunately for me, a minimal amount of grief with the travel. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for all as I met a number of people trying to make it to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC yesterday with far less success. As someone who has (knocking on wood) been fairly fortunate the last few years with travel, my heart always goes out to those just trying to get home to be with their families.

I did see (but could not grab a photo of) the new HTC America commercial. It was running during TNT coverage of the Boston/Cleveland NBA playoff game which happened to be on the TVs in Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta. Nice ad placement, HTC!

I'll be heading back home tomorrow afternoon (weather permitting). Glad I am not traveling today. As we speak, CNN is reporting that the Severe Weather Prediction Center is giving our area a "moderate risk" rating for tornado activity. Just what this area does not need...

When you have collected and still use a lot of different Windows Mobile phones, you often get asked about which ones you use when, and why. I recently had a "water cooler" discussion about this (mainly spurred on by female co-workers finding great amusement in a man taking about a "weekend phone"). This got me to thinking - I should put together my personal awards for different devices, documenting once and for all (or at least until another device is added to the mix) some of my favorite devices for certain situations. So, here goes -

• Best Overall Device.
  WINNER: I have to give this award to the AT&T Tilt (HTC Kaiser) I use. When factoring in size, performance, reliability and usability, the Tilt ends up on top. In almost all of these categories there is another device in my arsenal that surpasses the Tilt, but none outperforms at all levels.
  HONORABLE MENTION: My i-mate K-JAM (HTC Wizard) has definitely been the most trusted and reliable device I have used over the years. Whether it is for day-to-day use or application/OS testing, the K-JAM has always been there, ready to perform.
• Best Pure Business Communicator.
  WINNER: The Palm Treo 750 has been one of the best overall devices from a business communications perspective. While not the smallest, fastest or "sexiest" device, the Treo 750 does what is is supposed to do very well; provide effective and reliable business communication. The radio may be the most reliable of all of my devices, getting a signal in areas where all my other devices fall short. The UI and usability enhancements with hardware buttons can screen displays make the device highly usable for voice and e-mail. No other device has ever been more reliable for me with regards to Microsoft Voice Command, and trust me when I say I have used the product on just about every device I've owned. I have come to realize that the Palm Treo 750 doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves, and I was partly at fault for this.
  HONORABLE MENTION: While this may spur some controversy, my T-Mobile Dash (HTC Excalibur) has always been a great lightweight device that performs the business functions I rely on in proper fashion. I still find myself most productive on the Dash's keyboard when typing e-mail or chatting via IM. If not for the constraints on memory and processor power, the Dash might have been able to pull off the upset here.
• Best Weekend Device With The Family.
  WINNER: This may come as a shocker, but I have to give this award to my QTek 8500 (HTC StarTrek) gets the nod here. Clamshell form factor and very durable. I feel comfortable carrying this device when "out and about" with the kids, confident in knowing that a sudden kick, punch or flying object hitting the device in my pocket won't spell the end of my phone.
  HONORABLE MENTION: If not for the lack of Bluetooth, this award would have gone to - my Motorola MPx200. Yes, my MPx200. OK - stop laughing ;-) If I created an award for "Most Indestructible Device", the MPx200 would win hands down. A bulky clamshell design by toady's standards, you could beat up on this device all day without worry. True story...
  I didn't even use one of my MPx200's (I have more than one lying around) for almost 2 years. In that time, my two sons used it as a "play toy" (read - no SIM). They played with it indoors and outside. They carried it around and treated it like one of those Dollar Store play phones. Guess what - I am looking at that phone right now and (after cleaning it up) it looks great (no scratches) and runs fine.
• Best Weekend Device (Still Keeping Functional).
  WINNER: The Samsung Blackjack II (i617) definitely excels here. Looks like a stylish casual smartphone (I have the maroon model, BTW) but still packs the processing power, memory and keyboard for those moments when I need to get things done (IM, e-mail, etc).  This phone allows me to still "travel light" without worrying about performance.
  HONORABLE MENTION: The T-Mobile Dash. If not for the previously-mentioned processor and memory constraints, this device likely would have beaten out the Blackjack II. It's even smaller than the Blackjack II, but simply not as fashionable.
• Lifetime Achievement Awards
• My i-mate JASJAR (HTC Universal) is affectionately referred to as "The Tank". This bad boy is only slightly smaller than the HTC Advantage, but still packs a great processor and large VGA screen, making it an awesome multimedia device. If not for the lack of EDGE (only GPRS and European UMTS), I might still be lugging this device around as part of my "daily package".
• My i-mate SP5m (HTC Tornado) has to get credit for simply surviving its most brutal product tester - my wife. She can destroy anything technology-related in days (and in any number of colorful ways). She has proven this most frequently with Bluetooth headsets, but phones run a close second. The SP5m is still in tact and running, with only a touch of Super Glue on the trim to show for the months of brutality it as endured.

Please note that the the devices listed here are by no means the total list of Windows Mobile phones I have owned. Maybe I should add an "In Memoriam" list... :-)

I do a lot of demonstrations of prototype .NET Compact Framework applications. While you could capture screenshots and/or video of just the Device Emulator itself, there are times where you might want to add a bit more "sizzle". While you could spend time playing with custom skins for the emulator, you can save a lot of time and effort by simply allowing SOTI's Pocket Controller to come to the rescue.

I have been asked on several occasions how I made a demo from the emulator look so good. Well, I finally decided to document the whole process for everyone's edification. Of course, to accomplish this you will need the following:

• The Microsoft Device Emulator. You can use the emulator provided with Visual Studio, or you can download the standalone version.
• SOTI Pocket Controller. If you don't already have this amazing product, then you are definitely missing out. Get the trial version here.

The following steps are shown using Microsoft Windows Vista Business and Windows Mobile Device Manager ("WMDC"). You can, however, do the same thing with Windows XP and ActiveSync (remember - Windows Mobile 6.0 requires ActiveSync 4.5 or higher).

1. Before beginning the process, be sure that WMDC or ActiveSync is configured to allow for an emulator image to be "cradled". To do this, open WMDC and select "Connection Settings".
   
   
2. Under the "Allow Connections to one of the following:", select DMA from the drop down list.
   
   
   
   Select OK when done.
3. Start the Device Emulator Manager. If you are using Visual Studio, this can be found under the Tools menu option.
   
   
   
4. Once the Device Emulator Manager is open, select the emulator image you wish to work with and right-click on it. Select Connect from the menu items shown.
   
   
   
5. Your emulator image should appear after a brief period. Once it is up and running, return to the Device Emulator Manager. Again, right-click on your selected emulator image to bring up the menu. This time, select the Cradle option from the menu.
   
   
   
6. Just like with a regular device, it might take a minute for things to "fire up". Just be patient. If you have never established a partnership between this emulator image and the desktop, you should get the prompt from WMDC to either establish a partnership or connect without setting up the device. Personally, I never establish a partnership between an emulator image and WMDC, but to each their own ;-)
   
    
   
7. Once successfully connected and cradled, you should be able to easily identify the state of things by looking at the Device Emulator Manager for a special "Connected icon".
   
   
   
8. Now we are ready to configure SOTI Pocket Controller. Open the application, then go to the Start icon, then Settings then Settings again.
   
    
   
9. Under the Settings dialog, you will want to focus on Connection Profiles area. You can either select to use an existing profile or create a new profile.
   
    
   
   Either choice will bring you to the Connection Profile dialog.
   
10. In the Connection Profile, simply make certain that the Connection Type is set to ActiveSync.
    
    
    
    It is also in this connection profile that you can choose the device type that you (for lack of a better term) wish to pretend to be. For the maximum effect, you will want to check the View In Skin option and (if necessary) select the Skin Catalog... option to download the appropriate skin. Once completed, press the OK button.
    
11. You are now ready to try to connect to the emulator with Pocket Controller. To do so, simply click on the Connect icon in the main screen of Pocket Controller.
    
    
    
12. If you have never previously used this emulator image with Pocket Controller or you never saved the emulator image state after a previous install, Pocket Controller will inform you that it cannot find the Pocket Controller client on the device and that it must first be installed.
    
    
    
    Select Yes to start the installation. The install should be like any regular application installation for a Windows Mobile device. Once complete, you will receive the standard installation confirmation in the emulator.
    
     
    
13. You will now need to once again attempt to connect to the emulator image using Pocket Controller as shown in Step 11. This time, you may have to wait for a brief period and then receive a message regarding not being able to connect using "Auto-Sensing mode".
    
    
    
    Not to worry - simply select Yes to try connecting in Standard mode. Within a few seconds, a connection should be established. If you are prompted to change the connection profile to always use Standard mode, you can say Yes. If you are using this profile for regular devices as well as the emulator, you may choose not to reset the mode.
    
14. You should now be connected and displaying the emulator in Pocket Controller!
    
    
    

There are a lot of great things you can now do. You can leverage Pocket Controller for screen captures (complete with skin), record video (again with skin included) and even do some troubleshooting using Pocket Controller's tools. When doing live demos this way, I usually minimize the emulator window, leaving only the Pocket Controller session active. It's fun to have someone ask afterwards "Where's the device you were displaying on screen for the demo?" ;-)

Hopefully this little tutorial will help some of you out, whether it is for demos, documentation or training.

The next couple of weeks are very exciting and very busy. Among the items on the agenda -

• The 31 Days of the Dragon contest over at BostonPocketPC continues to move right along. The first phase of the contests ends tomorow (May 10th, 2008) at 11:59 PM EDT, so if you haven't entered yet, you should! We've received a tremendous amount of interest and entries thus far, and I am looking forward to announcing the finalists this coming Sunday and the Grand Prize Winner next week.
• I will be traveling to Saint Louis, MO early next week for a couple of days of client meetings. I look forward to visiting Saint Louis (even if only for business), as this city has previously only been a "plane change" stopover in my travels.
• The following week leads to the next Windows Mobile User and Developer Group meeting on May 21st. I will be doing two presentations / demonstrations. One is on Windows Mobile 6.1, and the other is an introduction to System Center Mobile Device Manager. If you are in the area and interested, be sure to visit BostonPocketPC.com for all of the details.

As someone who's been posting on the 'Net for a very long time, I love it when someone I know with an incredible wealth of insight and information "comes online" to share. That being said, two great examples of this can be found with some fellow Enterprise Mobile colleagues.

• Marco Nielson has a great blog with information on Windows Mobile, SCMDM other worthwhile information. When I first met Marco in person back in January (at a company-wide meeting), I was honored to discover that Marco had been a regular reader of BostonPocketPC.com while he lived in the Greater Boston area. Now, if I could have only found a way to get him to attend a Windows Mobile User Group meeting :-)
  Marco has a wealth of knowledge to share with regards to SCMDM, Windows Mobile and other items and does so with a great writing style. Be sure to visit his blog often.
• Patrick Salmon has another wonderful blog, bringing his knowledge and passion of SCMDM and security to the masses. Patrick is an eloquent writer, as evidenced by his articles for Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine. His writings, however, do no justice to an incredibly refined wit that makes me continually envious ;-)

Speaking of employees and blogs, here is a chance to welcome the newest member of the Enterprise Mobile team. In this instance, there was no need for an introduction as I am proud to have known Chris DeHerrera for a number of years now. His multitude of web sites (including PocketPCFAQ, PocketPCTalk and TabletPCTalk), his numerous writings for Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine and countless contributions as a Microsoft MVP are merely "scratching the surface" of Chris' capabilities. Needless to say, I am both professionally and personally honored to be working with Chris now on a regular basis.

Here's to the EM Gang!

I have traditionally been one of those people who cringes when people use their finger on screen to navigate on a mobile device. All those fingerprints and smears... EEEEWWWW! I have had a couple of people recently show me their iPhones, only to have to squint to refocus my eyes, thanks to all of the smears and smudges. I never thought *I* would become one of "those people", but...

Thanks to some research and a willingness to expand my horizons, I have started letting "my fingers do the walking" with my Windows Mobile Professional phones. It started with my reviews of several VITO Technologies products over at BostonPocketPC. While I wasn't totally convinced that the benefits of finger-friendly navigation outweighed the dirty screen, I was a bit impressed. Recently, a few more applications are making me like the "touch the touch screen" approach even more.

Spb Softwarehouse's SpbMobile Shell is a great program in and of itself. It was only recently, however, that I have really started using the large buttons and gestures to navigate without pulling out my stylus. I also have taken a look at VITO Technology's EyePhoto, which is really great for browsing the constantly growing collection of photos taken on my devices. Finally, I was contacted recently about the possibility of reviewing a new product from Electric Pocket called FlipSide, which is an MP3/WMA player for Windows Mobile that uses the iPhone analogy for browsing your music content. Again, I am very impressed with the ease of use (stay tuned for a review at BostonPocketPC; I was convinced).

All of these products are resulting in my using the stylus less and less. Now, if I could only find a windshield wiper small enough to fit on my screen ;-)