Inbox

New iPhone-like interface for touch screen devices

Recently I bought a copy of your magazine at a store while traveling. I read with interest the news item titled "New Software gives iPhone-like interface to WM devices." I liked what I heard so much that I went on the Internet and downloaded a copy of MobilityFlow’s new Touch Commander software for my Verizon XV6700 smartphone. It is a good piece of software.

Since then I have found an even better iPhone-like interface. The software is called Home and is from Pointui (pointui.com). While it is at this point still an Alpha release, it is, in my judgment from actual use, already a much better piece of software than Touch Commander. I encourage you to take a look at Home and let others know about it in your fine magazine.

John Page

Saving URL shortcuts on Today Screen in WM 6?

I read Clinton Fitch’s article on Pocket Plus 4.0 in the Feb. '08 issue and thought you might know if this is possible.

I want to be able to save a shortcut to a browser URL on the Today screen, so that when I click on the shortcut it will start Opera Mobile and open the desired Web page.

Andrzej Jan Taramina

There is no problem in doing this with Pocket Plus. All you need to do is go to a tab in Pocket Plus on the Today screen and tap-and-hold until the menu comes up. Then, go to Add >File... and use the File Explorer to go to Windows/Favorites, and then tap the Favorite you want to have a shortcut to on your tab. Tap OK and that is it! (Note that my instructions assume that you have the Favorite stored on the device already.) Additionally, you can do this same file shortcut to virtually any file saved on your device with Pocket Plus. Just follow the same routine. I do this quite a bit with documents myself.

I’ve created a video showing you the step-by-step on how to do this on my YouTube channel (youtube.com/clintonfitchdotcom). Look for the video "Adding Internet Explorer Favorites to Spb Pocket Plus Tabs."

Clinton Fitch, MVP-Mobile Devices

Problem with audio volume on HP iPAQ 214

When it became painfully obvious that my iPAQ 4700 was on its last legs, I ordered an iPAQ 214 [also known as the 210]. I was thrilled to bits to receive my iPAQ 214 at the end of January. However, this joy turned to sorrow when I saw that the iPAQ—despite being held back by HP for over three months—was flawed. The volume level when adjusted to 100% volume is barely audible (in a slip case it is totally inaudible and alarms are impossible to hear). If you play a video/sound file using Windows Media Player, it interprets the 100% sound level (as indicated on the sound control slider) as being only at about 60% of maximum. To test this, I copied the Alarm 1 .wav file from the older iPAQ 4700 to the iPAQ 214 and played both of them at 100%. The sound from the 4700 is way louder (perhaps twice as loud).

Herbie Skeete

Herbie: I tested my 210 and it is just as loud as my other iPAQs. I played a video and song and both were very easy to hear. I also set an alarm ("Alarm5") and had it go off while in the sleeve and it too was fine (albeit a bit muffled). If your 214 is half the volume of your 4700, then something is definitely wrong with the unit. Did you try headphones to see if the problem is with the entire audio system or just the speaker? In either case, you should send it back for repairs while it is still under warrantee.