Redmond Gadgets Blog

So I thought three monitors were cool, but...

info@santry.com — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Check out this video at on10, four video monitors hooked up to Vista using very large high pixel wide screen monitors in vertical display mode.

http://on10.net/Blogs/tina/vista-monitors-unleashed/

Nice!

Three is a Magic Number

info@santry.com — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Three monitors are the way to go and thanks to my Q1 I am there. Basically I have three monitors, two hooked up to my workstation, and one on the Q1, then on my Vista workstation I have win2vnc hooked up to control my Q1 from the workstation keyboard. I created a wallpaper for the PCs to make one long scene between all three monitors for the atheistic feel.

Looking under my desk, I really need some cable management.

HID Drivers for the Q1

info@santry.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:00:00 GMT

I know, I barely blog anymore, but my time has really been limited. I just had to post about the new HID drivers available for the Q1. CTitanic has worked to get some beta drivers made available for us Q1 owners, and believe me this turns the Q1 into a very usuable machine. It is worth going through the install.

Zune Firmware Updated

info@santry.com — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

It's been a while since I last posted, I've been busy in my new position as the Microsoft Practice Manager for a large international consultancy. Today I was sitting in a meeting with Microsoft and they were all updating their Zunes. So I had to rush home and load the new firmware on my Zune.

I haven't noticed any new features, but both the software and firmware was updated. It did appear to sync a little faster from the PC, and it's reported that there are a few bug fixes. We'll have to wait to see new features though.

Your Chance to Get a Samsung Q1 for $699

info@santry.com — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Woot is at it again selling refurb'd Q1s at $699 during this woot off, now is your chance to get a UMPC on the cheap.

Daily Tech: The Current State of the UMPC

info@santry.com — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

DailyTech covers the current state of the UMPC market. The article is a rehash of issues we already know:

Battery life
Cost
Performance
3G connectivity

Hands on with the Intel UMPC

info@santry.com — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

SlashGear has some pics and video of the Intel Prototype UMPC. It is kind of an ugly device, but the keyboard pull out appears to be handy to have (even though keyboards on UMPCs really aren't needed). Check it out...

Home Dock for your Zune

info@santry.com — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Hook up your Zune to the TV using the new DLO Home Dock. It supports analog audio and video out so no high def watching here. It retails for $99 and is available via their website and online retailers.

Note: When clicking on to buy, I get an error.

Windows Home Server on a Budget

redmondgadgets@santry.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

I've been blogging about my experience with Windows Home Server,. Robert McLaws has a great article on building a Windows Home Server on a budget.

Personally, I have it running on a Dell Poweredge SC420 server and it has been running without issue backing up my PCs, and providing a central file store.

Hands on with the Q1 Ultra

info@santry.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Brighthand.com has a great overview of the new UMPC coming from Samsung. The review has loads of pictures of the Q1 Ultra.

More Ultra Portables

info@santry.com — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

The UMPC like platform is the topic of the day at CEBIT.
You have the Flybook with its pull out keyboard, camera, and more portable features.

Another player is Digital Cube's G43, one of the smallest UMPCs going to be available. It has a 4.3 inch screen and a mouse pad built into the device.

ASUS UMPC Round 2

info@santry.com — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

More companies are announcing their second generation UMPCs. Asus has announced their second go at the UMPC form factor. This one has a keyboard. The specs are similar to their R2H UMPC that came out last year, the major change is the inclusion of the keyboard.

"Unofficial" Vista Drivers for the Q1

info@santry.com — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Taken from the OEM CD for the new Vista Q1P UMPC, now available for your downloading pleasure.

i.Sound Portable Dock for the Zune

info@santry.com — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

This is nice dock, unfortunately, I can't find anything on US availability. It runs about $50 (converted from Euros).

Samsung Q2 - Is Q1 Ultra

info@santry.com — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

The word is the Q2 will be known as the Samsung Q1 Ultra. This UMPC has side finger pads for typing, although I find for most of my use I use the stylus. I do have the keyboard which is nice when I need to use the machine on the road, but when I'm in the house I primarily use the device for media and my finger or stylus works just fine.

Multi-threaded IM and Multiple Accounts

info@santry.com — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Kind of sounds like Trillian to me, but for the Pocket PC/Windows Mobile platform. MantraGroup Inc.has announced the availability of Causerie Messenger for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile Handhelds.

“Causerie Messenger, an easily configurable Instant Messaging solution complete with bots, skins and a fully customizable user interface, hits the market on March 19th. Allowing login to a maximum of six accounts, this versatile and powerful new messaging software allows login to two accounts of a same messenger type (Yahoo/MSN/AOL/ Jabber/ICQ) and receives messages while using other applications. roBots (Bots), powerful buddy agents which retrieve real time information like stock, weather, news, currency, traffic info, eBay auction information etc are also supported.”

Key Features:

Login access to messengers like Yahoo/MSN/AOL/Jabber/ICQ
Readily available roBots to get important information in a single tap (stocks, weather, traffic status, quotes, news, eBay, Google and many more)
Simultaneous login to six different messenger accounts and two accounts of the same IM type
User friendly yet simple view of buddy list (Tree View)
Multiple modes to view the buddy list (All/Online/Groups)
Ability to run the Causerie messenger in background while using other applications
Pre-defined message support: quick text messages
Support for emoticons
Customizable chat screen display/colors
Mail notifications/customizable alerts

http://www.mantragroup.com/

UMPC Comparison List

info@santry.com — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Over at the UMPCPortal.com they added a new feature to the site for comparing the various UMPCs on the market. Check it out...

Zune Notes

info@santry.com — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Just some quick notes from the web concerning the Zune:

The Zune team is focusing on podcast support and it will be there.
A rumor is circulating stating that Zune version 2 will be released sometime in August this year. No word on features.

Krusell Case for T-Mobile Dash

info@santry.com — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

I purchased a Krusell Classic Case for my T-Mobile Dash (pictured). The case runs about $20 - $30 on the web and boasts a skin tight fit. After having the case for a day, it does have a skin tight fit, but there are some issues that could be improved. There is a hole on the bottom of the case to allow for plugging in the USB cable, but it does not align perfectly with the phone, and some manipulation of the case needs to be done in order to plug the cable in. The other holes on the case align perfectly (mic, buttons, camera), so I can let it slide since the USB cable isn't used constantly. The one other issue is the plastic coating over the entire face of the phone. You have to get used to pressing the buttons under the plastic, so far I haven't miss keyed, but I suspect someone who uses the phone to type a lot of text with the phone may find this undesirable since you lost the feel of the keys.
On the plus side it is more streamlined than the case that comes with the phone, and protection is probably the best you can find since you never take the phone out of the case and it is completely covered either in leather or plastic. I'll probably end up keeping the phone since I'm not a heavy typer with the phone, if I were then this case would be unacceptable.

A FlipStar UMPC

info@santry.com — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Here's another entrant into the UMPC market. FlipStar has a clamshell like design and has a full qwerty keyboard for your typing pleasure.

Yahoo Go on Windows Mobile

info@santry.com — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Yahoo and HTC are teaming up to place Yahoo Go services on new Windows Mobile devices.

The deals allow Yahoo to give consumers one-click access to mobile phone services ranging from Web search, e-mail, maps and local information to Flickr photo-sharing, in a bid make the Web as easy to use on-the-go as it is sitting at a computer.

Samsung Q2

info@santry.com — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Engadget has an inside scoop about the upcoming Q2 from Samsung which is the next generation UMPC device. Personally I think it looks a little crammed with thumbkeys built into the sides of the device. It sports a little more hard drive space and more power on the CPU. Check it out.

RSS Reader for Windows Mobile

info@santry.com — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

I received a copy of NewsBreak 2.0 from Ilium Software today. Being the blogger that I am, keeping up to date on the latest information is something I have to do. One thing I really like about NewsBreak is it works on my SmartPhone, and supports podcasts, and vidcasts. It looks like I have my new favorite reader for my Dash. Here are some of the improvements in the 2.0 version:

- Full support for audio, video, image, and attachment podcasts: Listen to your favorite podcasts, watch vidcasts, and view attached files and images
- Individual download criteria for each channel that supports podcasts: Schedule podcasts to download when and how you want them to
-Built-in support for Microsoft Live Search helps you find all the channels you're interested in
- Save podcasts for later use
- Schedule when and how to download podcasts separately from channel updates
- Choose the maximum memory usage for podcast storage
- Store podcasts in main memory or on a storage card
- Improved menus for one-handed navigation
- Set the maximum number of channels to save
- New keyword icons plus 6 additional icons and an updated appearance

And for a limited time, they're offering it for $7.95, at that price you can't help but buy it. You download a 30 day trial from their site:
http://www.iliumsoft.com/site/nw/nb_trial.htm

Leave It to the Government to Screw Things Up

info@santry.com — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT

The tech industry overcame the Y2K issue relatively unscathed, but leave it to government to mess things up when it comes to time. They changed the date of daylight savings time (DST) in the US and Canada, and now companies are rushing out updates to various systems and devices in order to account for the problem. This has caused mass confusion, appointments being changed, and help desk calls on the rise as updates are being applied. This is sure to not be the end of it, and most likely will impact people more than Y2K ever did.

For more information on updating your devices, visit the Microsoft site for information.

Orb's Media Center Plug-In

info@santry.com — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 06:00:00 GMT

No not exactly Softsled, the software based Media Center Extender, but Ian Dixon points out that it's pretty close. Orb released an Media Center plug-in that enables you to view your Recorded TV on another Media Center machine. This would be perfect for running on the UMPC.