Jim's Special Travel Tips

See the Microsoft Support article titled: “Running Windows CE ActiveSync Using a Modem.” This article describes how to configure a Windows CE 2.0 or 2.1 device to run ActiveSync with a Windows 95-based or Windows 98-based computer over a modem. To do this, you must configure the desktop computer as a remote access server. The article ID is Q192509. Go to www.microsoft.com and search on this. The direct link to the article is: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q192/5/09.ASP

Finally! A free Web service for Windows CE

Darn! Please read the update on this tip.

Put MP3s and other Doc files in “My Documents”

The Pocket PCs have a number of applications that access document or data files, including Pocket Word, Excel, Microsoft Reader and Windows Media Player. In addition, you can install other programs that access documents. Documents, MP3s, Windows Media recordings, etc. should be stored in the “My Documents” folder. If you store these files on a CompactFlash card, you should create a “My Documents” folder on the card and store them there. Otherwise, you won’t be able to find them from some of these applications.

Powering and charging Windows CE devices in your car

A few Handheld, Palm-size and Pocket PC manufacturers offer power adapters that fit in the cigarette lighter. Check in the Accessories section of the devices Web page to see if they do. If not, there are many generic auto power adapters that might work. But if the polarity or voltage output isn’t right they might also FRY YOUR POCKET PC!

I use a small power inverter in it to run the TV VCR for the grandkids on long trips, Nintendo, charge my laptop, charge my cell phone, and charge the PDA. I plug in a power strip and can have all of them charging and being able to be used at the same time. I found that by the time I carry 4-5 auto adapters, I do not give up much space by taking one inverter to charge them all. You will need to carry your AC adapters, though, for backup in case you’re away from the car. Since I have most of them with me anyway, it just made more sense to have the inverter. See Radio Shack for it also.

Make voice notes to yourself as a reminder

The voice memo feature found on all Handheld, Palm-size and Pocket PCs is designed to make quick notes to yourself while you’re on the go. You don’t have to stop, take out a stylus and tap in a message. Just hold down a button and say “Call Bill at 518-0000 about the project.” You can review these messages at your leisure and enter them into your Calendar, Contacts list or whatever.

If you don’t want to bother with these voice memos until your back in the office, you can save them in the Synchronized Files folder on your Handheld, Palm-size or Pocket PC. When you’re back in the office, you can connect to your desktop PC, run ActiveSync, and send them over to the Synchronized Files folder on your desktop PC. You can listen to them from there at your leisure. To do this you have to do two things:

1. Set up Voice Recorder so that is saves its recordings to your Windows CE devices Synchronized Folder. On your Windows CE Handheld PC and Palm-size PC open Voice Recorder, go to the File menu, tap on Folders and select Synchronized Files from the Folders list. If there is no Synchronized Files folder, create one. Voice Recorder has been integrated into Notes on the Pocket PC. On your Pocket PC, Notes and other documents saved in the Pocket PC’s “My Documents” folder are synchronized to the desktop PC when you enable file synchronization in ActiveSync.
2. Enable synchronizing items in the File Synchronization folders in ActiveSync. Open ActiveSync on your desktop PC, click on Options, and check the box labeled “Synchronize Files.”