Free Software and Services

In recent months, a number of readers have contacted me about freeware programs they like. In addition, the experts on our blogs (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs) have been posting enthusiastic comments about a variety of software programs and services. I thought I'd mention some of these programs.

Free services

• Emoze push e-mail (http://www.emoze.com): Emoze promotes itself as the world's first free and secure push e-mail and PIM service for Windows Mobile 5 devices. Push e-mail not only delivers e-mail messages to your device as they arrive on your e-mail server, it provides timely updates to your Contacts and Calendar. The service consists of an application that runs on your PC, a globally accessible network infrastructure, and a software program that runs on your phone-enabled Windows Mobile device. To use the service, you simply need to have an e-mail account and a compatible device. (Pocket PC and Smartphone)
• Earthcomber maps and guides (http://www.earthcomber.com): Earthcomber lets you download maps and guides that can be used by themselves or in conjunction with GPS. Once you specify your location, the maps give you a ton of information about resources in your vicinity, including hotels, restaurants, golf courses, ATMs, churches, bars, grocery stories, restrooms, parks, etc. You can find a great article about Earthcomber by Tim Hillebrand in our blogs (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs). (Pocket PC and Smartphone)

Earthcomber provides a plethora of maps and guides with information about resources in your vicinity, including hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and much more.

• SplashBlog (http://www.splashblog.com): This software application and Web site let you do photo blogging—that is, use your device to take photos and upload them to a Web page. The software only works with Windows Mobile 5 devices, and the device must have a camera. (Pocket PC and Smartphone)

You can upload photos to a Web page using SplashBlog.

Free utilities

• Oxios Memory (http://www.oxios.com/memory): This software package consists of two applications that help you avoid problems associated with low memory on your device. Sometimes, applications take up memory that they don't really need. Oxios Hibernate attempts to release as much of that memory as possible without altering the state of your open applications on your Pocket PC or Smartphone. Often, it can free up quite a lot of memory. Oxios CloseApps closes down all applications. It does essentially the same thing as a soft reset, but users say it's a lot faster. (Pocket PC and Smartphone)