Is that Windows Mobile in your pocket?

How to Play .3gp files created by your Windows Phone on your Desktop

2009-04-01T00:56:00Z

If you’ve ever recorded a video on your Windows Phone you may have noticed that the extension is .3gp. Well, .3GP is a simplified version of the MPEG-4 (MP4) container format, designed to decrease storage and bandwidth requirements in order to accommodate mobile phones. This is great if you are worried about storage size but it is an issue if you try to play the video on your PC. As it turns out, Windows Media Player doesn’t support .3gp out of the box. Since this is an issue, you are going to need to install the codec for .3gp or an application that supports .3gp. Here I’ve added links for both. Quicktime from Apple supports the .3gp format so you can watch your movies on your PC, and if you’d like to use Windows Media Player I suggest downloading the The Combined Community Codec Pack. This, more commonly referred to as the CCCP, is a collected archive of codecs (video compression filters) packed for Microsoft Windows. This package has pretty much any codec you can think off and supports any type of video format I’ve come across.

Apple QuickTime
Cost: Basic Version: Free | Pro Version: $29.99
Site: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Combined Community Codec Pack
Cost: Free
Site: http://www.cccp-project.net/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Community_Codec_Pack

Windows Mobile Encryption and Security Certifications

2009-03-03T23:33:24Z

There is a lot of talk about what policies Windows Mobile Supports and you can find a Matrix here on the various security policies you can apply to Windows Phones. Today I’ve decided to expand a little on the on device encryption and SD Card encryption policies as well as outline some of the details around Common Criteria Certification and FIPS Compliance that Windows Mobile enjoys.

On Device Encryption

Windows Mobile 6.1 supports AES 128 Encryption for On Device Encryption. If this policy is enabled in Exchange, you will encrypt the PIM.VOL file which contains all your Email, Tasks, Calendar Info and your notes. It will also encrypt the TEMP Directory and the My Documents Folder. In short your critical information will be encrypted. Mobile Device Manager (MDM) gives you the additional ability to also encrypt other directories.

Note:

1. There is no way to export the Encryption Key

2. The Encryption Key Changes on Hard Reset

3. Device encryption can only be enabled via a security policy there is no way a user can enable this feature in Windows Mobile.

SD Card Encryption

Windows Mobile 6.0 onward supports AES 128 Encryption for files written to the SD card. If this is enabled either by the user or via policy then any files that are copied to the SD Card, edited on the SD Card or moved to the SD card will be encrypted. Any files that existed on the SD card that were obtained from other sources like a PC will not be touched. If you removed the SD card from the Windows Phone you WILL NOT be able to read the encrypted contents on any other Windows Phone or PC.

Note:

1. There is no way to export the Encryption Key

2. The Encryption Key Changes on Hard Reset

Common Criteria Certification

Windows Mobile 6.1 obtained Common Criteria Certification. The Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (abbreviated as Common Criteria or CC) is an international standard (ISO/IEC 15408) for computer security.

Common Criteria is based upon a framework in which computer system users can specify their security requirements, vendors can then implement and/or make claims about the security attributes of their products, and testing laboratories can evaluate the products to determine if they actually meet the claims. In other words, Common Criteria provides assurance that the process of specification, implementation and evaluation of a computer security product has been conducted in a rigorous and standard manner

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 completed evaluation to Common Criteria EAL 2 augmented with Flaw Remediation (ALC_FLR.1) in the AISEP on 7 August 2008.

The Windows Mobile 6.1 evaluation builds on and extends the core security features of the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 evaluation at EAL 2+.

Further details about the scope of the evaluation can be found at http://www.dsd.gov.au/infosec/evaluation_services/epl/mobile_products/windows_mobile_v6.1.html

FIPS Compliance

Windows Mobile 5.0 onward supports the technologies required for Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) compliance. FIPS certification is required for selling products to the federal government. Some security-sensitive industries such as finance and insurance, have also adopted FIPS certification.

FIPS 140-1 and its successor, FIPS 140-2, are U.S. Government standards that provide a benchmark for implementing cryptographic software. They specify best practices for implementing cryptographic algorithms, handling key material and data buffers, and working with the operating system.

An evaluation process administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cryptographic Module Validation (CMV) Program (http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/) allows encryption product vendors to demonstrate the extent of their compliance with the standards, and thus the trustworthiness of their implementations.

Further details about the scope of the evaluation can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc182284.aspx

How to Backup, Auto Reply, and Send to Predefined Groups, with SMS Text Messages

2009-02-20T23:32:32Z

While the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS has existed for quite a while in Windows Mobile still can’t Send SMS messages to Predefined Groups, backup SMS messages to the desktop and auto reply to missed calls. Well it looks like the guys at Trinket Software have seen the gap and come up with a great application called PowerSMS with a great UI to make SMS great on Windows Mobile.

Features

Note to Self: A quick way to send yourself a Note.
Group SMS: A feature that lets you create groups of contacts, and drastically reduces the number of clicks required to text them.
Auto Reply: If you’re in a Movie, or a meeting and want to let people messaging you know, this app can respond to those calls automatically with a text message, thus politely letting them know where you are and that you'll call back.
Schedule SMS: Schedule SMS or reminders in advance.
Cool Stats: Get Stats on who and when you SMS.
Backup & Restore: This app will help you archive, transfer or export messages to your computer or to another phone.

Price: $9.95
Site: http://www.trinketsoftware.com/powersms/

Sneak Preview of a Windows Phone running Windows Mobile 6.5

2009-02-16T22:34:27Z

At Mobile World congress Microsoft announced that the never version of Widows Mobile would be Windows Mobile 6.5. here is a sneak peak at what we can expect.

You can see the Video comments on new solutions coming to the platform.

A brand new touch User Interface
New Experience with Internet Explorer
New Cloud Services such as My Phone

Windows Mobile 6.1.x Upgrades and Build Levels

2009-02-13T01:31:47Z

I’ve been getting questions on what the latest version of a ROM versions for Devices. Well I’ll be honest, its not an easy thing to keep tack of. That said Marco Nielsen has been doing a great job of keeping track of the latest and greatest.

He’s been compiling a running alphabetical list of which devices now have official supported upgrades available for them since the summer of 2008. This may be useful for many of you when implementing SCMDM and researching which devices are compatible.

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/mnielsen/archive/2009/01/24/windows-mobile-6-1-x-upgrades-now-available.aspx

How To Browse with Firefox on Windows Mobile - Fennec

2009-02-11T21:17:32Z

Mozilla's mobile Firefox browser, which is codenamed Fennec, is now available for Windows Mobile. Mozilla has released a pre-alpha test build of the Windows Mobile port for users who want to get an early look at the program. This release is designed to work on an HTC Touch Pro and might not work yet on other devices.

The release is distributed as a 9MB CAB installer which you can download from Mozilla's FTP repository. It includes a mobile version of XULRunner which is used as Fennec's runtime. The port is still at an early stage of development, but the availability of a Windows Mobile version demonstrates Mozilla's commitment to bring the browser to a wide range of handsets across multiple platforms.

The mobile browser market is highly competitive and there are some compelling alternatives to Fennec that are already available for Windows Mobile users. Opera has done great things with Opera Mobile 9.5, which delivers a Web browsing experience that rivals the iPhone and has some interesting additional features such as support for the W3C Web widget standard. Another alternative that has a lot of potential is SkyFire, a mobile browser that leverages sever-side Gecko rendering and provides excellent support for streaming video. Microsoft is also gearing up to Internet Explorer 6 to replace its current version of Pocket Internet Explorer.

Fennec offers several key advantages over the rest of the pack, but the most significant is its extensibility. Much like Firefox on the desktop, Fennec is designed to support third-party extensions that can increase the functionality of the browser and enhance the user interface.

Here is a video of the Alpha from Pocket Now that does a great job of giving you an overview.

Price: Free
Site: http://www.mozilla.org/projects/fennec/1.0a1/releasenotes/

Blog Article Adapted From:
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/02/mozilla-launches-fennec-milestone-release-for-windows-mobile.ars

How to Twitter with Windows Mobile

2009-02-06T09:48:54Z

I got the question the other day on using Twitter with Windows Mobile, luckily there is a great application already out there for Twitter on Windows Mobile - PockeTwit

“What I like is that it works on both your Pocket PC device and smartphone. Mike points out that when you post a reply or an update, PockeTwit will automatically grab your GPS co-ordinates and update your location information to reflect that. And, what I think is very cool is the ability to include a picture from your camera as you enter a post.”

A screenshot doesn't really do it justice, the kinetic list and side menus have to be experienced to understand.

Features:

A unique user interface
Works on VGA, QVGA and SmartPhone devices
Support for multiple twitter and identi.ca accounts
“Conversation View” shows a what this status was in reply to.
Uses standard notifications to alert you of new friends statuses or replies
URL shortening with is.gd
Take photos and send to TwitPic
Integrated search.twitter.com
Clickable @names, URLs, and #Hashtags
Option to check for new version on startup
Themes

Price: Free
Site: http://code.google.com/p/pocketwit/

Blog Article Adapted From:
http://mobilitysite.com/2009/02/pocketwit-a-very-cool-twitter-client-2/

Syncing Windows Mobile with a Mac – The Missing Sync

2009-02-04T05:07:36Z

When you buy a Windows Mobile phone you end up with a few CDs. Many of you may just throw them away and hit the net for what you really need, but if you look in the box you’ll find that there is often a copy of Outlook, a disc with Activesync 4.5 (to sync with XP) or perhaps it may even have WMDC (Windows Mobile Device Center that allows you to sync with Vista and now Windows 7). What you won’t find in the box is any software that would make a Mac user happy.

As it turns out, there are plenty of people who own a Mac and love Windows Mobile, and as it turns out they just want some love. Well thanks to Mark/Space there is a product that has been appropriately named “The Missing Sync”. The software isn't free but it does allow you to start syncing your Windows Mobile Phone with a Mac.

The latest version allows you to sync via Bluetooth, USB or a network. It syncs your calendar to Entourage or iCal, syncs your contacts with iCal and the Address Book, and even lets your sync your music with iTunes.

Its a must have it you use a Mac.

Cost: $39.95
Site: http://www.markspace.com/products/windowsmobile/mac/windows-mobile-sync-software.html

- Update 2/5/2009 -

I was just contacted by Eltima Software who has a free alternative. According to Eltima, their Syncmate product includes iCal Calendar synchronization and contacts synchronization for Windows Mobile 6. In addition Syncmate allows you to use your Windows Mobile Phone’s internet connection with your Mac. Its great if you’re at a coffee shop without WiFi and want to browse the web.

The also have an “expert edition” that costs $39.95 that includes the following features

Bookmark synchronization
Folders synchronization
iPhoto synchronization
iTunes synchronization
Notes synchronization
Time synchronization
Mail plugin
SMS manager plugin
Applications list plugin
To Do's plugin

Cost: Basic Version: Free | Expert Version: $39.95
Site: http://www.sync-mac.com/syncmate.html
Feature Comparison: http://www.sync-mac.com/syncmate-expert.html

Syncing Windows Mobile with iTunes

2009-02-04T04:41:20Z

As it turns out, a lot of people are using iTunes to manage their music, and they want to start taking advantage of Windows Mobile’s Media player. Well it looks like there are a few solutions out there from free to pricy, and I’ve commented on a couple.

1. iTunes Agent – Price: Free
Site:http://ita.sourceforge.net/

iTunes Agent is a small application resting in your system tray constantly looking for new MP3 players and other music capable devices connecting to your system. When a device it recognizes is connected to the system, it will create a playlist for the device in iTunes and it will synchronize that list with tracks on your device.

You may then modify this list, add and remove tracks, before you tell the iTunes Agent to synchronize the list with your player.

NOTE: Your windows Mobile phone may not show up as a drive according to iTunes Agent and hence it may not work.

2. TunesSync – Price: $9.95
Site: http://www.pocketmac.net/products/tunessync_windowsmobile/index.html

TunesSync for Windows Mobile is a simple, yet powerful app that allows you to copy your favorite iTunes playlists to your Windows Mobile Phone. You can set up TunesSync for Windows Mobile so that every time you connect your handheld to your PC, TunesSync for Windows Mobile automatically runs and copies the music you want copied. The Storage Card Sync feature allows you to sync only to your Storage Card.

3. Pocket Tunes – Price $37.95
Site: http://www.pocket-tunes.com/?page=overview

Pocket Tunes is a Windows Mobile Media Player replacement that syncs with iTunes in its latest release (Version 4.1). Pocket Tunes does a lot more than just syncing with iTunes but it may be overkill if all you want to do is sync.

Once you get your Windows Mobile Phone syncing with iTunes don’t forget to grab a pair of Bluetooth headphones and listen to the music on your phone wirelessly.

Setting up Verbose Logging in Windows Mobile and Parsing Logs

2008-12-04T21:46:27Z

If you are running into sync issues, or you’d like to troubleshoot an Activesync issue on your Windows Mobile Device, setting up Verbose Logging and parsing the logs is sometimes the quickest way to find the problem.

Setting up Windows Mobile for Verbose Logging

Open the Activesync Application on the Windows Mobile Phone.

Click Menu – > Click Options –>

Make Sure Microsoft Exchange is Highlighted

Click Settings –> Click Next on the Server Settlings Screen

Click Next on the User Information Screen –> Click Menu on the Server Settings Screen

Click Advanced –> Set Event Logging to Verbose

The log is saved in text format in the Windows\ActiveSync folder, for example
windows\ActiveSync\serverlog0.

The log file is cleared at the beginning of each synchronization session. To retain the log file, copy or rename the log file before you start another synchronization session.

To copy the log file:

Synchronize your PocketPC device with the server. If the synchronization fails, synchronize until the point of failure.
Disconnect your PocketPC device to prevent the log file from being overwritten if an automatic synchronization is scheduled.
In Windows Explorer, expand My Device, expand Windows, and then locate the log file that is in the ActiveSync folder.
Rename the log file.
Connect to the desktop.
In the desktop ActiveSync program, choose Explore, browse to the ActiveSync folder, copy all the Log file to a folder on the desktop.
Turn the logging back to Brief or None.

How to Use Windows Mobile with a CISCO VPN Solution

2008-06-10T02:25:38Z

Customers who have a CISCO VPN solution and want to extend it out to Windows Mobile devices need to look no further than the Bluefire VPN Client.

The company says its Mobile Security Suite 3.5 and Mobile Security VPN 2.0 applications have been certified interoperable with Cisco's VPN 3000 Concentrator. The Mobile Security VPN 2.0 is a IPSec virtual private network client bundled with RSA's BSAFE Encryption, and compliant with Federal Information Processing Standards 140-2 (FIPS 140-2). It operates seamlessly across LAN, WLAN, GPRS/EDGE and 1xRTT/1EV-DO with no user intervention required.

Here are a few more features of the Bluefire VPN Client

FIPS 140-2 Compliant.
Utilizing Microsoft’s CryptoAPI™ library, the Bluefire VPN meets stringent federal guidelines as established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Federal Information Processing Standards 140-2. (Please note: The Palm version of Bluefire's VPN is not FIPS 140-2 compliant.)
NAT-T enabled (Network Address Translation Traversal).
Allows for multiple IPSec clients behind a NAT to be distinguished.
Built to IPSec standards.
The VPN software client easily fits in the existing network infrastructure and configuration.
Compatible with RSA SecurID.
The Bluefire VPN is certified by RSA Security as interoperable with the RSA SecurID two-factor authentication token.
Compatible with certificate and smart card based authentication.
ICSA Labs certified.
Bluefire's VPN is the first mobile IPSec VPN to receive this certification.

Bluefire's VPN client works with the following Versions of Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile 6

Windows Mobile 5.0

Windows Mobile 2003

Product Page: http://www.bluefiresecurity.com/products/vpn/
Download: https://www.bluefiresecurity.com/downloads/try/freeVPN1.asp

Windows Mobile and Language Support

2008-05-31T00:06:44Z

I've been traveling quite a bit lately and the one question I've gotten a lot in Asia and in Europe is around Language Support in Windows Mobile so I thought I'd attempt to address it.

Unlike Windows Vista, Windows Mobile doesn't have a MUI or Multilingual User Interface on a single image that supports double bit characters (Chinese/Japanese) unless you get a device in a region that uses that double bit language.

The question that I get most often is, assuming I use an English language version of the operating system.

Can I input in a double bit based language like Chinese or Japanese?
Can the system display and send and receive messages written in a double bit language?
Can I change the regional settings to support another language?

Since the Standard and Professional versions of the OS differ I've covered their multi language support independency.

Windows Mobile Standard/Smartphone (Non Touch Screen)

Inputting in a double bit based language like Chinese or Japanese - Unfortunately you cannot without a 3rd party add-on like CEStar
Reading double bit based language like Chinese or Japanese - Unfortunately you cannot without a 3rd party add-on like CEStar
Changing the regional settings to support another language - Here we do have an answer, on Windows Mobile Standard devices you can go to Start -> Settings -> Regional Settings -> and Choose Language - The number of languages listed here will differ on different phones and won't include double bit character languages in general.

Windows Mobile Professional (Touch Screen)

Inputting in a double bit based language like Chinese or Japanese - Unfortunately you cannot without a 3rd party add-on like CEStar
Reading double bit based language like Chinese or Japanese - Unfortunately you cannot without a 3rd party add-on like CEStar
Changing the regional settings to support another language - Windows Mobile Professional device do have a regional Setting menu that lets your choose the Region. It is located under Start -> Settings -> System -> Regional Settings. Here you can choose a supported language but you will find that Chinese and Japanese are not on the list. In addition, a few have a custom rom image prompt when you hard reset the device, that asks you for the location and then installs regional language packs.

Solutions:

If you are looking for a phone to support English and double bit characters you have 2 choices.

You can purchase a regionalized phone. They will come with the local language and English. This can be difficult if you aren't in the region however companies like Expansys can get you a regionalized device wherever you live.
Purchase a 3rd party add ons like CEStar that will add the language support you need.

System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 - Helpful Links

2008-05-30T22:11:00Z

I've been getting a lot of questions around features and links for Mobile Device Manager and Macro Nelson did a great job and I added a few links of my own.

System Center Mobile Device Manager - Overview:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/mobiledevicemanager

Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 Resource Kit - Best Practices Analyzer
http://www.microsoft.com/DOWNLOADS/details.aspx?FamilyID=ec5eedea-7741-4d1b-aba8-a5181847fad3&displaylang=en

System Center Mobile Device Manager Product Reference Guide
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/a/4/9a401fa2-4044-4550-af33-8821f826a708/MSCMDM_Product_Reference_Guide.pdf

System Center Mobile Device Manager Demo
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/b/a/4bad1be6-ad64-413a-b251-7100b70b1eb6/CTIA_Wireless_Clip1_500K.wmv

User Enrollment Demo
http://blogs.technet.com/vik/pages/how-to-enroll-your-windows-mobile-standard-phone-with-mobile-device-manager.aspx

System Center Mobile Device Manager Architecture Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/business/strategy/architecturaloverview.mspx

System Center Product Page:
http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/mobile
One page overview:
http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/mobile/evaluation/overview.mspx

120-day Trial/Evaluation Download:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc339027.aspx
MSDN media: http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/downloads

TechNet Product Page:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scmdm

TechNet Forum for SCMDM 2008:
http://forums.technet.microsoft.com/en-US/SCMDM/threads/

Product Documentation:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scmdm/cc304592.aspx
This currently has the following guides listed:
- Architecture Guide
- Planning Guide
- Deployment Guide
- Security Guide

Resource Kit Tools: (v1.1 released on May 14th, 2008)
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scmdm/cc304591.aspx
This currently has the following downloads:
- Self Service Portal (SSP)
- Server Tools (See my other blog posting for the v1.0 release)
- Client Tools: ConnectNow and VPNDiag see this blog posting, MDM Managed Device Status Viewer new with the v1.1 release)
- Best Practices Analyzer Tool (BPA)
- Reporting Services (new with v1.1)

One note on the Server and Client Tools:
The v1.0 downloads dated April 1, 2008 where removed and updated with the v1.01 or later dated after May 1, 2008. Do not extract the older versions to your root C:\ drive folder as it will blow away your OS! See the KB article on this here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952338.

Windows Mobile 6.1 Emulator
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3D6F581E-C093-4B15-AB0C-A2CE5BFFDB47
Emulator setup documentation: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc461417.aspx

Windows Mobile 6.1:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/6-1/default.mspx

Proxy assistance:
To configure a Proxy running ISA server to tunnel HTTPS packets on port 8443 to the Device Management server, use the AddTPRange.vbs script from here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/isa/2004/plan/managingtunnelports.mspx

Filling out InfoPath Forms on Windows Mobile Devices

2008-02-25T23:29:00Z

I've gotten a lot of questions around Line of Business solutions that would allow our customers to fill out forms on mobile devices to collect data. While you could create a website, develop a form and connect it to a webservice that would collect the data Microsoft has a solution to do exactly that: InfoPath.

Similar in functionality to how InfoPath Forms Services renders browser-enabled form templates in a typical desktop Web browser, InfoPath Forms Services also renders forms in browsers on handheld, or mobile, devices. Most mobile devices are supported, including PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), smart phones, and any device that supports a Web browser with HTML, cHTML and xHTML; WAP is not supported. There are, however, some key differences in how forms are rendered in a mobile browser and considerations to keep in mind when designing a form template for use on a mobile device.

With Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 and access to a server running InfoPath Forms Services, you can create and deploy InfoPath form templates that can be filled out on a mobile device. For an overview of mobile form templates, see Designing Form Templates For Use On A Mobile Device. Its as easy as creating a basic InfoPath form template for use on a mobile device and then testing and debugging it by using downloadable tools that are also available with Visual Studio 2005.

Designing InfoPath 2007 Forms for Mobile Web Browsers
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb251745.aspx

How to: Create, Test, and Debug Mobile Form Templates
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms772291.aspx

Integrating InfoPath 2007 Forms in Web Sites Using Visual Studio
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb267336.aspx

In addition to the built in solution available via InfoPath 2007 there is also a compelling solution from a Microsoft Partner: Formotus (www.formotus.com)

The main advantage from Formotus is the ability to put a client on the device that can handle offline scenarios.

Windows Mobile Battery Power Overview

2008-02-06T02:49:13Z

Well I've been getting a lot of questions around Battery Power and I thought I'd write something covering battery power on Windows Mobile Devices. When it comes to a mobile device, Windows Mobile or other, battery power is really limited by 5 things.

1. Processor
2. Screen
3. Radio
4. Hard drive
5. Battery Size / Type

1. The Processor: As we try to get more and more out of Windows Mobile devices, OEMs keep putting in faster and faster processors. On some devices you'll find that the processors can step up and down power consumption based on usage, however as we move forward we'll generally see faster processors using more power.

2. The Screen: The Screen on the Device is yet another huge power hog. The larger the Screen, the more power its going to use and this is something to keep in mind. With OLED and other low power Screen technologies around the corner OEMS (Hardware Manufactures) should be able to improve battery life on devices.

3. The Radio: The Radio (Wifi, CDMA, GPRS, EVDO, WiMAX, Bluetooth) causes major battery usage on Windows Mobile devices and its important to understand how quickly a device's battery can run down when these radio's are on.

Cellular - GPRS, 1XRT, EDGE: Most phones in the market have utilized this radio for the past few years and when we look at a device we can use battery life with just the GPRS/1xRT radio as a base line if you want to compare it to other devices.
Cellular 3G - EVDO, HSDPA: While the EVDO (CDMA) radio doesn't put a huge strain on a Device the HSDPA (GSM/UMTS) radio can considerably tax a devices battery. Many Non-Windows Mobile manufactures haven't released devices that have HSDPA into the market place. One of the speculated reasons is that HSDPA radios have an adverse effect on battery life and this is a major concern with current battery technology. On the other hand with many Windows Mobile devices there are ways to turn off the high speed HSDPA radio. I've blogged on how to do this on the Samsung Blackjack. Disabling the HSDPA radio will improve battery life but it will also make you lose the functionality of the high speed radio. This doesn't really effect the device if you are just using it for Activesync (Mail Sync) but if you are browsing the web or using your device as a modem for you PC then you'll want to make sure you don't disable the HSDPA Radio
Bluetooth: Bluetooth is yet another Radio on the device that can affect battery performance. While Bluetooth doesn't hit battery performance has heavily as perhaps an HSDPA Radio or a Wi-Fi connection it does impact how long the battery lasts.
Wi-Fi: The Wi-Fi Radio is perhaps the most power hungry radio found commonly on a Windows Mobile device. For Customers running LOB applications with ruggedized devices the battery is normally big enough to handle all day usage of the WiFi Radio, however if we try to use the Wi-Fi radio on one of the consumer devices you're going to end up with battery life that will probably not meet a user's needs.
Wi-Max: Wi-Max is something we've yet to find in any Mobile Device that are generally available however the battery consumption from a Wi-Max device is extremely high. While I've yet to do side by side comparisons, some have found that a Wi-Max radio can use more battery than a Wi-Fi radio. Now Wi-Max is still in its very early stages so the Radio Battery consumption can be drastically improved.

4. The Hard Drive: While Few devices include a hard-drive, due to its moving parts a hard-drive consumes a considerable amount of power and can dramatically effect your battery life.

5. Battery Size / Type: The battery size will directly impact how long the battery lasts. Today with devices getting smaller the battery size also shrinks and its something to keep in mind when purchasing a device.

With all this said I often get the question:

"Well my old phone used to last for days but my new Windows Mobile Phone's Battery doesn't last that long."

If all you are using on your Windows Mobile device is the Cellular GPRS/EDGE radio then you should also expect a pretty long battery life. I've used both the Blackjack and the HTC Dash with only GPRS/EDGE Radio enabled and I've gotten 2+ Days of battery life. The Same device with 3G(HSDPA) had battery life that was considerably shorter. When I left Wi-Fi on I got about half a day. Now its important to keep in mind as you start turning on more and more radios it's going to impact your battery life. Most non Windows Mobile devices don't have any of these advanced radios so their batteries last much longer. Its key to keep this in mind when you compare and contrast the device you are purchasing.

I'm not advocating that you turn everything off on a device. What I am suggesting is that the more advanced your mobile device the higher you're battery usage; in the end the enterprise or user will have the weigh the pro's of the the new advanced radios on a device with the battery performance.

Microsoft Exchange 2003, 2007, 2007 SP1 Mobile Policies Matrix

2008-01-30T06:28:00Z

I’ve been getting a lot of questions around which Mobile features work with the different versions of Exchange currently available in the Market – Exchange 2003, Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2007 SP1. Since each is a drastic improvement from its predecessor they all have different features, and I thought I’d compile some of these feature sets into a basic matrix.

Additional information on the Matrix below at can be found on Technet and the Exchange Team's Blog.

For the Matrix below:
E2K3 SP2 - Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2
E2K7 - Exchange 2007
E2K7 SP1 SCAL - Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1 with Standard Client Access Licence
E2K7 SP1 ECAL - Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1 with Enterprise Client Access Licence

Exchange Version	E2K3 SP2	E2K7	E2K7 SP1 SCAL	E2K7 SP1 ECAL
Windows Mobile Version	WM5 & Above	WM6 & Above	WM6.1	WM6.1
General
Direct Push	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Email, Calendar, and Contact Synchronization	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Task Synchronization	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Device Wipe	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SSL Encryption	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Sync
Policy Refresh Interval	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Allow non-provisionable devices	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Max Attachment Size	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attachments Enabled	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Configure message formats (HTML or plain txt)	-	-	Yes	Yes
Include past email items	-	-	Yes	Yes
Email body truncation size	-	-	Yes	Yes
HTML email body truncation size	-	-	Yes	Yes
Include past calendar items (Duration)	-	-	Yes	Yes
Require manual sync while roaming	-	-	Yes	Yes

Authentication
Password Required	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Min Password Length	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alphanumeric pwd	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Inactivity Timeout	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Max Failed Password Attempts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Enable password recovery	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Allow simple password	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Password Expiration (Days)	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Enforce password history	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Allow Windows file share access	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Allow Windows SharePoint access	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Minimum number of complex characters	-	-	Yes	Yes

Encryption
Storage Card Encryption	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Enforce Device encryption	-	-	Yes	Yes
Require signed SMIME messages	-	-	Yes	Yes
Require encrypted SMIME messages	-	-	Yes	Yes
Require Signed SMIME algorithm	-	-	Yes	Yes
Require encrypted SMIME algorithm	-	-	Yes	Yes
Allow SMIME encrypted algorithm negotiation	-	-	Yes	Yes
Allow SMIME SoftCerts	-	-	Yes	Yes

Device Control
Disable removable storage	-	-	-	Yes
Disable desktop ActiveSync	-	-	-	Yes
Disable camera	-	-	-	Yes
Disable SMS and any MMS text messaging	-	-	-	Yes

Network Control
Disable Wi-Fi	-	-	-	Yes
Disable Bluetooth	-	-	-	Yes
Disable IrDA	-	-	-	Yes
Allow internet sharing from device	-	-	-	Yes
Allow desktop sharing from device	-	-	-	Yes

Application Control
Disable POP3/IMAP4 email	-	-	-	Yes
Allow consumer email	-	-	-	Yes
Allow browser	-	-	-	Yes
Allow unsigned applications	-	-	-	Yes
Allow unsigned CABs	-	-	-	Yes
Application allow list	-	-	-	Yes
Application block list	-	-	-	Yes

While the table above doesn't cover every feature available for every version of Windows Mobile (there are additional features such as Setting OOF, forwarding Calendar appointments etc) it does focus on all the policy options available in the Exchange Administration Console.

This matrix was compiled with information found at the following locations:

Exchange Team Blog:
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/05/28/439558.aspx

Technet Article on new Features of Exchange 2007 SP1
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123484.aspx

Jason Langridge's Blog
http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2007/12/04/exchange-activesync-policies-summary.aspx

*Microsoft has yet to release any information about a future version of Windows Mobile that may support the Mobile Policies of Exchange 2007 SP1.

How to Check Free-Busy information on your Windows Mobile Device (ver. 5.x, 6.x)

2007-10-03T22:20:19Z

When Windows Mobile 5 was released it was released without the ability to do GAL lookup. To deal with this a add-on was developed from the product team that allowed you to do both GAL Lookup and check Free-Busy. Well in Windows Mobile 5.0 GAL lookup was added but we still don't have Free-Busy look up. Well since the tool still exists you can download it and use it to check Free-Busy information.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/global/default.mspx

The Microsoft Global Contact Access Application uses the OWA Web Service to check free busy information. It's important to note that the OWA Web Service is not the same as the Activesync Web Service (both can be seen on the IIS server under the Default Web Site) which is used to sync Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Mail.

This Works with Exchange 2003 and Windows Mobile 5.x and 6.x - I have yet to test it with Exchange 2007.

Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1: Upgrade for Microsoft Office 2007 file formats

2007-09-27T22:07:10Z

Update for Windows Mobile 5 and 6

A free download is now available for devices with existing Office Mobile installations.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4b106c1f-51e2-42f0-ba32-69bb7e9a3814&DisplayLang=en
This free upgrade works only for Windows Mobile powered devices that have an earlier version of Office Mobile. If your Windows Mobile powered device does not have Office Mobile applications, this upgrade will not work for you.

Windows Mobile 5 Update:

Note: The Windows Mobile 5 update will only support the new file format and not have many of the new features of Office Mobile 6 such as DRM support.

Purchase Office Mobile:

If you do not have Office Mobile on your Device you can buy it for Windows Mobile 6 Devices here:

http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=1819&platformId=2&N=96806&productId=216382&R=216382

How To enable FIPS (3DES) for use in Exchange Activesync with SSL

2007-09-27T21:16:15Z

When you setup Exchange Activesync in Exchange Server 2003 or 2007 by default it is setup to use SSL with 128bit RC4 Encryption. There is a way to increase the Encryption from RC4 to 168bit 3DES Encryption that is FIPS Certified. SSL with 3DES can be implemented by making a change on the Exchange Frontend or CAS server.

In the Local Security Policy for the web server, make sure that you enable FIPS support by choosing the Security Setting enabled.

SSL with AES:

Windows Mobile 6 supports both SSL with 128bit AES Encryption and SSL with 256bit AES Encryption. At present, AES cannot be used with Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) because EAS is built on IIS which does not currently support AES.

Source:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators/mobile/maintain/SecModel/3506ad7e-88fb-4fe0-8cd0-b9dd9fa61507.mspx?mfr=true

Blog Article Adapted From:
http://blogs.iis.net/chrisad/archive/2006/07/31/1356489.aspx

How to Get Exchange ActiveSync to work on a Single Exchange Server (Error Code: 85010014)

2007-09-20T11:45:58Z

Take from: http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmac/archive/2004/05/10/129376.aspx

Issue:

You have a Single Exchange 2003 Server acting as both your front End Server and your Back End server. When you try to Sync you get the following error Code on the Device: 85010014

Resolution:

These are the revised steps that were originally outlined in: KB817379
Cannot Access Exchange Server 2003 by Using Outlook Mobile Access When
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=817379
The only difference between these steps and the KB is that you create the new Virtual Directory in IIS Manager and not ESM.

Start Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager

Locate the \exchange virtual directory (default location is Web Sites\Default Web Site\Exchange)

Right click on the Exchange virtual directory, choose All Tasks/Save Configuration to a File…

Type a name in the File name: text box (for example, ExchangeVDir)

Click OK

Right click the root of this web site (Default Web Site), choose New/Virtual Directory (from file)…

On the Import Configuration dialog box, select the Browse button and locate the file from step #4, then click Open

Next, select the Read File button

In the Select a configuration to import text box, select Exchange (or whatever virtual directory you selected in step #3) and press OK.

A dialog box will appear stating the virtual directory already exists. In the Alias text box, type a name for the new virtual directory that you want the

Exchange Server ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile Access processes to use. For example, type ExchDAV.

Click OK

Right click on the new virtual directory and choose Properties, in this example, ExchDAV

Select the Directory Security tab

Click the Edit button in the Authentication and access control section.

Verify only the following authentication methods are enabled

Integrated Windows authentication

Basic authentication

Click OK

Click Edit under IP address and domain name restrictions.

Click Denied access, and then click Add.

Click Single computer (if this option is not already selected), type the IP address of the server that you are configuring, and then click OK.

Click the Edit button in the Secure communications section

Verify Require secure channel (SSL) is not enabled and click OK.

Click OK, and then quit IIS Manager.

Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.

Locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MasSync\Parameters

Right-click Parameters, point to New, and then click String Value.

In the New Value #1 box, type ExchangeVDir, and then press ENTER.

Right-click ExchangeVDir, and then click Modify.

In the Value data box, type a forward slash ( /) followed by the name of the new virtual directory that you created in step 10. For example, type /ExchDAV.

Click OK, and then quit Registry Editor.

Restart the World Wide Web Publishing Service. To do this: Click Start, click Run, type services.msc in the Open box, and then click OK. In the Name list, right-click World Wide Web Publishing Service, and then click

Restart the Server to make the registry changes effective.

How To set your "File As" format to be uniform in Outlook Contacts

2007-06-25T21:57:44Z

The problem with entering contact information on your Phone and Outlook and anything else that may be syncing with your contacts is that a lot of the time you end up with information they may not be entered in a uniform way. The File As attribute is often one of these problems where some contacts are filed as "First Last" while others are filed as "Last, First". The steps below will hopefully help you setup Outlook so it is uniform across all your contacts.

Step 1. Set Outlook to default to your preference.

In the Outlook Menu: Go to Tools -> Options -> Contact Options -> Set the Default "File As Order"

Step 2. Setup Security on Outlook to Allow for Unsigned Macros

In the Outlook Menu: Go to Tools -> Options -> Macros-> Security
Change the Security to "Warnings for All Macros"
Restart Outlook

Step 3. Installing the Code

In the Outlook Menu: Go to Tools -> Options -> Macros-> Visual Basic Editor
In the Left hand window double click on "ThisOutlookSession"
When a new windows titled "VBAProject.OTM - ThisOutlookSession" paste the following in:

Public Sub ChangeFileAs()
    Dim objOL As Outlook.Application
    Dim objNS As Outlook.NameSpace
    Dim objContact As Outlook.ContactItem
    Dim objItems As Outlook.Items
    Dim objContactsFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
    Dim obj As Object
    Dim strFirstName As String
    Dim strLastName As String
    Dim strFileAs As String
    On Error Resume Next
    Set objOL = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
    Set objNS = objOL.GetNamespace("MAPI")
    Set objContactsFolder = objNS.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts)
    Set objItems = objContactsFolder.Items
    For Each obj In objItems
        'Test for contact and not distribution list
        If obj.Class = olContact Then
            Set objContact = obj
            With objContact
                strFirstName = .FirstName
                strLastName = .LastName
                strFileAs = strFirstName & " " & strLastName
                .FileAs = strFileAs
                .Save
            End With
        End If
        Err.Clear
    Next
    Set objOL = Nothing
    Set objNS = Nothing
    Set obj = Nothing
    Set objContact = Nothing
    Set objItems = Nothing
    Set objContactsFolder = Nothing
End Sub

Step 4. Saving the Code and Running the Macro

After you have pasted the code above into the windows titled "VBAProject.OTM - ThisOutlookSession" Click on File -> Save
Close the Visual Studio Window
Go to your Contacts Windows
Click on the Contacts Folder in Outlook
In the Outlook Menu: Go to Tools -> Options -> Macros
Select "ThisOutlookSession.ChangeFileAs" and Click on Run
After a about a minute depending on the number of contacts you have they will all be edited to display Contacts in the way you want.

Step 5. Change Security on Outlook back to not allow for Unsigned Macros

In the Outlook Menu: Go to Tools -> Options -> Macros-> Security
Change the Security to "Warnings for signed Macros, all other Macros are disabled"
Restart Outlook

Notes:

To change the order of strLastName and strFirstName to change the File As. You can either use ", " or just a space: " " between the names in the highlighted part of the code.
This code works only on the default contacts folder.

Credits:

The Sample code used here was obtained from the FileAs VBA Code sample from Slovaktech.

Exchange 2003 Activesync Usage and Reporting

2007-06-22T21:34:19Z

The need for getting information on users using Activesync as well as devices connecting to the environment has become a big ask for a number of customers. While all the information is on the Exchange Frontend Servers there isn’t any way to get this information from the Exchange GUI. Here I’ve taken a few Scripts from the exchange team as well as a partner have developed which should help you get all that information you need out of the Exchange server in a manner that will allow you to monitor your Activesync Usage.

The Exchange Team has written 2 Scripts that do the following:

Hits by User
It returns information by individual user such as, devices type used, number of Syncs, Emails Sent, Attachments downloaded, Meeting Responses, etc.
Hits by DeviceType
This report gives you a breakdown of the DeviceTypes (SmartPhone, PocketPC, etc.) that are hitting your EAS Server. This report can give you a better idea of what types of devices your users prefer, which can help you make more informed planning decisions in the future.
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/02/14/419562.aspx

Partner Solution using LogParser

Hits by Number of Users using Active Sync
LogParser could do this fairly easily for you.
SELECT COUNT(distinct MyDeviceId) as [# Devices]
USING
EXTRACT_VALUE(cs-uri-query,'DeviceId') AS MyDeviceID
FROM .\*.log
WHERE cs-uri-stem = '/Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync'
That would give you a count of distinct devices. This:
SELECT EXTRACT_VALUE(cs-uri-query,'DeviceType') AS MyDeviceType, COUNT(*) AS Hits
FROM .\*.log
WHERE cs-uri-stem LIKE '/Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync'
GROUP BY MyDeviceType
Would break it down by device type. You might have to tweak the syntax a little for 2007.
Just drop the iis logs from your CAS servers into the directory you are working in. To execute these, put the command in a SQL file and execute thusly:
logparser file:hitsbydevicetype.sql -i:iisw3c
Source: Mike Ireland from HP

Exchange Active Sync Protocol Logging for Exchange Server 2007

In addition you can use LogParser to create your own filter. To do this you will need a better idea of what to look for. Here I've put a link to the Exchange 2007 Protocol Logging information which is slightly different from Exchange 2003. There a a number of new commands here as well as the fact that a few of them have been renamed from 2003. Its more of a reference.
http://www.exchangeninjas.com/ExchangeActiveSyncProtocolLogging

COM object interface for Log Parser

Here the Exchange team has taken the capabilities of Log Parser one step further by leveraging the pluggable COM object interface. They have put together an EAS specific Log Parser COM object to help make building queries much easier. You will find this Log Parser COM object very useful in further drilling into sync activity.
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/03/03/421149.aspx

How to Extract CAB files from the Activesync Installer and copy them to your SD Card

2007-06-13T03:40:21Z

A lot of times you want to be able to install all your applications directly from you SD card, but most applications don't make that easy. Most of the time all you get from the application vendor is the PC installer. To get the CAB file you can normally do the following:

Most applications make it easy to find the .cab file you need for a direct install on your pocket PC. They are usually located on your desktop PC in the following folders:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\AppName
C:\Program Files\AppName
C:\AppName

In most cases you can just copy and paste the cab file into to your storage card.

The trickier installation routines delete the CAB file after the installation, however the only way to install a program is through a .cab (or to copy an .exe) so every installer has to leave the .cab file on your harddrive for a small portion of time. For those installers here are the steps to getting the files:

Connect your device
Run the install for the program, click the appropriate yes's until,
The Activesync message box for "install to default location" comes up--at this point don't click anything, let it sit
Use the windows search or find feature(depending on what version of windows you are using) and search your local drives (including hidden and system folders) for *.cab it helps if you have an idea what the file name might be, or the date of the file, or what the temporary subdirectory it might be placed in is called, regardless that search will list all of the .cab files on your machine at that time.
Copy and paste the .cab to your favorite storage location.

Adapted from:
ipaq.net

Accessing Sharepoint on Windows Mobile

2007-06-13T00:52:52Z

The need for accessing Sharepoint on Windows Mobile is becoming a huge ask and this week I'm going to take some time on the various ways you can get to your Sharepoint sites via Windows Mobile

1. Using new features in Exchange 2007 with Windows Mobile 6

What you need:

Exchange 2007 both CAS server and Mailbox Server
Windows Mobile 6
Sharepoint 2003 or 2007

You now have the option to publish Sharepoint Sites via the new Exchange 2007 CAS server. You can now send a user a link to a sharepoint document or UNC link in an email and the user will be able to click on it. Instead of opening the link in Internet Explorer it will instead go to the Published Server and grab the document via Activesync and download it to the device. Eg. If you get a link in an email to http://sharepoint/teamsite/document/windowsmobile.doc you can just click on it and it will open on your device in pocket word.

Limitations
You only have access to documents that are sent as links in email, you cannot browse shares or sites.

2. Using the new features in MOSS 2007

What you need:

No Exchange Dependency
Windows Mobile 5 or 6
Sharepoint 2007

With MOSS 2007 you now have the ability to view any site via a WAP browser. If you publish your Sharepoint site to the Internet via SSL (port 443) you can securely access it from any location, but the problem in the past has been that the site would not render well on a mobile browser. MOSS 2007 will now render that same site for a Mobile Device. Eg. If you'd normally go to: http://www.company.com/sharepoint/teamsite/ you can just add a "m/" at the end to render it for mobile viewing: http://www.company.com/sharepoint/teamsite/m/.

Once you do this you will get a mobile view of the same site.

Limitations
This view is limited as all Webparts will not be rendered.

3. Using Outlook 2007 and RSS feeds (Offline Access)

What you need:

Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2007
Windows Mobile 5 or 6
Sharepoint 2003 or 2007
Outlook 2007 on the Desktop

With Outlook 2007 you now have the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds. In addition Sharepoint allows for subscriptions via RSS feeds. If you have a system sitting on your corporate system running Outlook 2007 and you setup RSS feeds you can then subscribe to any Sharepoint feed in your environment. Outlook will then sync the RSS folders to your Exchange server and you can then use "Managed Folders" on your windows mobile device to view the contents of the sync' d RSS folder while you are on the go.

How to Play WAV or Voicemail files on your Windows Mobile Device (Codec Support)

2007-03-26T23:25:18Z

May companies these days are moving to Unified Communications, and with ease of use and the ability to receive voicemails via e-mail the ask of listening to those voicemails while your away from your desk has become quite popular.

The Issue

This issue has been that you can't listen to these voicemails from time to time on your Windows Mobile Device. When you try to play the .wav file on the Windows Mobile Device Media Player is unable to play the file. The problem is not that we don’t support WAV, as a WAV File consists of a header and the audio data. The header contains information such as sampling rate. The audio data itself can be stored in many different formats PCM, u-law and a-law to mention a few. The issue is that we don’t support some of the popular Codec’s around WAV. The most popular and most often used for Voicemail are a-law and U-law (the U in U-law is actually a Greek letter Mu) both part of the GSM 7.11 Codec. Most call managers have the option to change the codec they use for encoding a file but U-law has become very popular due to its compression of voice. The current lack of support in Windows Mobile 5.0 poses a real issue.

The Current Solution

Use a 3^rd party product on your device such as TCMP to listen to your Voicemails.
http://tcpmp.corecodec.org/
Change the Codec your call manager uses so that you can play Voicemail files on your device.

The question of adding codecs to Media Player often comes up and is a great one, the problem here is that only OEMS can add codecs to Media Player and codecs cannot be added by an end user so if Media Player doesn’t support the codec out of the box you can’t add support after the fact.