I hate "no laptop in training classes"

I was tied up all day today in a mandatory training class and it was one of those that allow no laptops to be used during the class.  This particular trainer was the first I've seen that extended that to Tablet PCs so I was not allowed to take notes in ink on my Tablet.  I understand why they don't want folks to have the distraction of using a laptop during the class but I showed him how I take notes and explained that I do it this way so I can search those notes in the future to get my hands on important information gleaned from the class.  I got a firm "no" so the Tablet stayed nestled in my closed gear bag.  The only result was I took no notes as I don't like paper for that.  Sheesh.  Maybe he's heard of stealth blogging.  :)

Windows Mobile app controls home automation systems

There's no doubt in my mind that our planned retirement home in the Poconos will be wired up the wahoo for home automation. Since it's 100 miles away from our current home, I'll want to monitor and see everything that goes on up there. [Personal note to our kids: whatever you were planning to do up there when I'm not around... don't.] Home Automation, Inc. is one of my favorite sites to lust after remote controls, interfaces and switches and today they announced a handy bit of Windows Mobile software.

With their new Snap-Link Mobile application on a Windows Mobile 5.0 or better phone, you can monitor and control all of the items in your home automation setup: lights, security, audio, thermostats, webcams and more. [That's right kids: WEBCAMS. Hence the above personal note]. You'll need an Ethernet-enabled controller, like the Omni or Luna that HAI offers, and there are no subscription fees for the software.

Web browsing in the new Origami Experience 2.0

Earlier this week, I mentioned an upcoming four-part series on Origami Experience 2.0 and the first installment is available. Today, Brandon shows off the web browsing functionality built directly into OE 2.0. Without leaving Origami Central, you can view the web in an IE7-like browser that offers some extra bells and whistles. You'll notice that this browser version is a little more touch-friendly for navigation and includes RSS subscriptions as well as web page snapshots. I like how the History from the URL Address bar shows previously viewed sites as tiles for simple choosing.

The Origami Project site indicates that the software will be available soon, so this four-parter may coincide with an official Origami Experience launch for UMPC owners. Stay tuned!

Update: As an MVP, I just got a pre-release version through Microsoft. I'm not able to share the actual file, but I'll take a look-see to find out what might be different from the earlier beta I used last year.

And the latest OS install on my UMPC is...

I think I've had my new Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC for around six weeks now. In that time, I've run Windows XP Tablet Edition (which came pre-installed), Windows Vista and even Mac OS X. It's time to settle down now and that means I need an operating system for the long haul. Yes, I might do more experimenting, perhaps with a Linux distro or two, but I need my UMPC to be usable and rock-solid for everyday mobile use. So I've just wiped the drive and made a choice. Many of you would choose otherwise, but I went with Microsoft Windows Vista.

Get healthier with free video workouts on your iPod

I doubt I can turn my 120-pound frame into an Ultimate Fighting Championship contender with this tip, but with the power of the iPod, you never know. Men's Health is now offering video workout instructions freely available for downloading to your iPod. You'll need to register for a free Men's Health account online, but that's the only stipulation. No iPod? No problem. Just download the .mp4 files and watch them on your computer.

The instruction is pretty straightforward, showing you how to do each exercise and telling you how many reps and sets of each you should do. The video does the planning for you, so all you have to do is watch and execute. This might be a better workout for me than the current one: fifty curls with the iPhone a day. Maybe I'll add the twisting lunge shown... although I'd probably replace the weight with a UMPC.

MobileTechRoundup 131: divine freeware

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.
MoTR 131 is 34:20 minutes long and is a 32.1 MB file in MP3 format.

INTRO: Based on “Time v2.1″ by Meta Sektion, additional mixing by James Kendrick.
HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia)

TOPICS:
Boingo Wireless, Starbucks and you. First impressions; $22 a month for PCs and $8 for mobile phone WiFi.
We tested the Skype Mobile Java client right before the show. Impressive!
What compelling features would make you upgrade to a new Apple iPhone?
Freeware of the show: DupeDeDupe removes duplicate contacts from your Windows Mobile device.
Alternative freeware: Outlook Duplicate Remover, courtesy of St. Thomas the Apostle in the UK.
Palm is beta testing something new and exciting. What could it be?
Hotspot or 3G: which do we choose and why?

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Outlook task types: use the Icon field for a quick look

What happens when you have so much free time on your hands that you actually look at every possible field in Outlook? You find a useful productivity nugget... or you fall asleep from boredom, whichever comes first. The How-To Geek folks luckily found something before nodding off and I like the idea for smaller-screened devices.

I always take advantage of the sliding To-Do bar in Outlook 2007: it's there when I need to see it, but hides with the touch of a button. By customizing the view of the To-Do list view underneath the calendar and adding the Icon field, you can get an idea of the task type with a quick glance. In the example shown, the icons next to the items in the task list show one recurring task and two e-mails flagged for follow up. Handy when you want to get a handle on your task types and don't want to waste time opening them.

Skype 3.8 for Windows drops beta tag, profile images in requests

The beta of Skype 3.8 for Windows lasted for about a month because the newest version dropped the beta tag yesterday. Most changes are under the hood, but one that's notably visible (or invisible, depending on how you view it) is the removal of profile images for Skype authorization requests. Apparently, some folks were using offensive images, so your potential new friends on Skype won't see your mug or avatar on an authorization request.

The folks at Skype indicate that most of the improvements in this version are on the audio side: less background noise, delays and cut-offs. The UPnP implementation that Skype developed in-house is in there too... no more relying on Microsoft's UPnP framework. All of the ongoing improvements keep Skype on all of my mobile devices; over the past three years, it's gone from fun novelty to an everyday staple of my workday.

With a subsidized Apple iPhone, everyone wins

Yesterday the news rumors hit that AT&T might be subsidizing the next Apple iPhone. On our podcast, we discuss what it will take for us to upgrade or buy a new iPhone: what compelling features, for example, would get us to pull the trigger. That show will be up later today, but it was recorded before the subsidy rumors. Now that they're out there, what does it mean? If true, it means that everyone wins. Nobody truly loses anything that I can see.

From a consumer standpoint, people will get the latest and greatest iPhone for $200 less than what it would cost without the subsidy. Yes, they would commit to a two-year service plan with AT&T, but original iPhone customers did the same, so there's no difference there. Apple still gets the same retail price per phone, since the AT&T subsidy offsets the discount. And if you hit an Apple store to buy your phone, it sounds like they'll make an additional $200 as there's no subsidy there. That begs the question of why would anyone buy an iPhone in a retail Apple Store? If I were Apple, I'd want those customers in my store because they're more likely to come back and buy other Apple gear.

I'm personally not a fan of subsidized phones, but this selling model is ingrained into the American cellular market, so it wouldn't surprise me if the news were indeed true. In this particular case, the consumer isn't any worse off, although there actually is a loser in all this that I just thought off: AT&T's competitors. I'm sure we'll hear of mass migration numbers as customers leave other carriers for a subsidized iPhone. Will you be one of them?

Tabbed PDF viewing arrives in Foxit Reader

I won't speak for the group, but I find Adobe Acrobat Reader a necessary evil. It seems like when I haven't installed it, people send me PDFs up the ying-yang. And of course, when I do carry it around on my UMPC, it's taking up space for no good reason. It's as if the installation alone is a PDF-repellant somehow.

Foxit Reader might be the best compromise I can think of. The download is about a tenth of the size of the full blown Reader from Acrobat, which is useful for devices with limited storage. For the one day of the year that I get multiple PDF files sent to me, the newest version offers tabbed viewing for even more efficiency. Just like the original, it's free for the downloading on the PC of your choice.