Several people have asked for me to post more detail about the CMD scripts that I wrote to get the Cisco VPN client working on my 64-bit Win 7 machine using Virtual XP .

Basically I have written two scripts.  One adds routes to the subnets I need at work and the other deletes them.  So – what are routes?  Basically they are the directions that computers use to send communications to the right place. 

The first thing you need to do is identify what network addresses are in use on your work network.  Fortunately the Cisco client makes this fairly easy for you.  Once the Cisco VPN client is installed in the virtual XP environment, connect the VPN and then Select the Statistics option from the Status menu in the VPN client window.  This will list the subnets on your remote network as shown below:

I created a text file where each line in the file was a remote subnet and subnet mask, separated by a semicolon.  For example if your remote network used three networks: 192.168.1.0/24, 192.168.2.0/24 and 192.168.3.0/24 then your text file would look like this:

192.168.1.0;255.255.255.0
192.168.2.0;255.255.255.0
192.168.3.0;255.255.255.0

Save this text file to your hard drive.  I saved mine in c:\utils\addroutes.txt

In a nutshell when I am connected to the VPN I run AddRoutes.cmd script and it helps the Windows 7 machine identify the traffic intended for my work network.  In the example above it would need to know to send any traffic for the above three networks to the Loopback adaptor of the host as discussed in my previous post.

Here is what is in the AddRoutes.cmd script:

@Echo Off
Set GW=192.168.233.1
Echo Setting Up Routes:
for /F "delims=; tokens=1-2" %%i in (c:\utils\vpnroutes.txt) Do route add %%i Mask %%j %GW% metric 1>NUL
Echo Done!

(note that “for” through to NUL is all one line)

What does this do?  The first line tells the script not to show the commands as it runs them.

The next line creates a variable called GW and sets it to the IP Address of the loopback adaptor.

The third line just provides some visual feedback and tells you that it is about to add the routes.

Line 4 is the workhorse.  I’m not going to go into the nuts and bolts of the “for” command, but it is very powerful.  If you want to know more, you can type “for /?” at the command line.  In a nutshell what line 4 says is:

In C:\utils\vpnroutes.txt each line is a list of values seperated by semicolons.  For each line run the following command with the first two values:

route add Value1 mask Value2 GW

Where GW is the address of the gateway we set in line 2.

That’s it – you are online and know how to talk to your VPN network.

Now when you disconnect  you don’t need those routes anymore, and if you leave them there they may cause issues.  So DeleteRoutes.cmd removes them again.

Here is what is in DelRoutes.cmd:

@Echo Off
Echo Deleteing Routes...
for /F "delims=; tokens=1" %%i in (c:\utils\vpnroutes.txt) Do route delete %%i>NUL
Echo Done!

This is very similar to the first script – For each line in the vpnroutes.txt file it runs a command to remove the route again. 

There is one last thing you may need to make everything work as expected and that is name resolution.  This one is easy to fix.  If you know the address of your DNS server on your remote network add it as the DNS server on the properties of the loopback adaptor.  This won’t cause any issues if you leave it there full time.

Hope that helps everyone.  I will admit it is a bit of a nasty work around but it does work.

Previously I blogged about the lack of a 64-bit Cisco VPN client. 

In the comments of that post yaz points out that NCP has a Beta Client that works on 64-bit clients – and that includes Windows 7.  It also supports 3rd party VPNs and that includes Cisco.

The NCP beta client is available via this page.  Install was simple and there is even a UI to import your existing Cisco VPN profile. 

It appears to be a 30 day trial – which is a bit odd for a beta product.  It does appear to work though.  I’ll give it a good work out over the next couple of days and report back.

For reasons that escape me Cisco have chosen not to release a 64-bit version of the IPSec Cisco VPN Client.

This is a problem for me since I installed the 64-bit version of Windows 7 RC on my Toshiba M750.

To get around this without rebuilding with the 32-bit version I employed Windows 7’s new XP Mode – aka Virtual XP.

First I followed the steps on the download page:

1. Enabled virtualisation extensions in the BIOS.
2. Download and install the Virtual PC Beta.
3. Download Windows XP Mode.

That done I fired up the Virtual Windows XP from my Start Menu:

This loaded up a Virtual Machine already running Windows XP.  I installed the Cisco VPN Client and verified that it could connect to the VPN. 

This is where it gets a little tricky.  At this point I have my Toshiba, which is the host and an XP machine which is a guest.  The XP Guest has a virtual adaptor that leverages the host’s network adaptor and can connect to the remote network.  But the host has not way to connect through the guest to get to the remote network.

For initial testing I created a static route for one of the subnets and pointed it to the IP Address of the guest.  This worked, but it is a bit fiddly as the guest IP address is assigned by DHCP and as such will change depending on where I am.

I wanted something that required a little less work to get connected.  To achieve this I needed to create a virtual adaptor on the Host.  This is done by adding a loopback adapter to the host.

Adding a Loopback Adapter to the Host

In Device Manager right click the root node and select Add Legacy Hardware

On the welcome screen click Next.

Then select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced) and then click Next

Scroll down and select Network Adapters and then click Next

Then select Microsoft as the Manufacturer and Microsoft Loopback Adapter and then click Next

On the confirmation screen click Next.  Then when the installation finishes click Finish.

Once this has completed you will find a new network adapter in the Network Connections.

I configured this adapter with a private IP address in a range that I don’t use at home or work. 

Next I added a second Virtual Adapter to the Virtual Windows XP machine and bound this to the new Loopback Adapter.  I assigned a static address to this in the same range as the Loopback adapter.

Because the network I am connecting to uses a number of subnets I wrote two quick CMD scripts.  One adds the routes on the host, the other removes them.

Virtual PC also creates shortcuts for applications installed in the guest on the Start Menu of the host. 

To connect to my VPN I can run this and it hides Virtual Machine’s desktop and the VPN client looks like it is running on the Windows 7 machine.  I then run my script to create the routes and I can work away.  When I disconnect the VPN I run another script to delete the routes again.  Of course I can add shortcuts to all three actions to my desktop to ease the process.  Not quite as clean as installing the client directly on the machine, but it works.

Update: For details of the command scripts see this post.

The Live Mesh process, moe.exe,  is hammering my CPU.  The screenshot below shows this – an average of 51%!  Moe.exe’s usage is the yellow line on the CPU graph.  You can also see that even though it is hammering the CPU there is no moe.exe network traffic.

Something tells me moe.exe is about to get killed off…

That’s better, but I’d rather figure out why this is happening so I can keep Mesh running.

Until the other day I had avoided Twitter.  I didn’t see the point.  I didn’t understand where it fit in the already crowded and vastly overworked traffic jam that is my attention span. 

What happened the other day to change that?  It’s quite simple really – I was bored and I had a couple of minutes to fill.  I jumped over to Twitter and created an account.  I am now thegoodcraig on Twitter. 

So why was I wrong about Twitter?  I thought it added no value to the tools I use to manage my social network now.  Live Messenger, Skype, email, LinkedIn, a plethora of RSS feeds and my own blogs (aka the blogoshpere) are pieces of this puzzle.  What could Twitter add?

So far I have only started following a handful of people but I have already learned there is value there.  Twitter brings back some of the conversation that use to be in the blogosphere, but was drowned out by comment and trackback/pingback spam. 

The asynchronous of Tweets lets you keep in touch with people you know well in a way that can be quite challenging with real-time tools like Windows Live Messenger and Skype in a global community.  Because tweets tend to be more personal than blog posts the interaction is on a different level as well.

The pull nature of the content also makes it easier to keep tabs when you don’t have time to reach out and keep in touch.  Twitter does add value.  I was wrong.

I'm not Australian - but I live in Australia and as such I am an Australian Internet User.  I have to agree with my friend Chris on this one...

I am a little surprised that there has not been more noise made about this.. thought I would do my bit as I am a totally against internet censorship..

The Australian Federal Government is pushing forward with a plan to force ISPs to censor the Internet for all Australians.

Like Chris I am totally against censorship.  Apart from squashing my civil liberteies, this is a hairbrained scheme at best and won't work...

Yesterday I blogged about the revamped Display Settings in Windows 7 and how getting to this frequently accessed settings page was a bit easier in Windows 7 than it was in Vista.  Today that theme continues with something that is near and dear to mobile PC users' hearts - connecting to a network.

Like Vista, Windows 7 shows network connectivity status with a single icon in the system tray.  The star on the tray icon shows that connections are available.

Left clicking on the icon gives you a pop-up list of your dial-up and VPN connections, any manually configured wireless networks (regardless of availability) and any currently available wi-fi networks.  The list appears just above the system tray, rather than in a full window in the middle of the screen.  Next to each wireless network is an indicator of the current signal strength. Clicking on a network item in the list causes that item to expand slightly and display a Connect button (or a disconnect button if you are already connected to that network).

When you click on this connect button you get a progress dialogue until it connects. 

Once connected to a wireless network the system tray icon displays the green bars indicating signal strength. 

The connection process is just that little bit cleaner and more efficient than it was in Vista.  The process in Vista was to right click the network icon in the system tray and select "connect to a network".  This launches a new window with a list of networks.  You then select the network you want and click connect.  Not only is this more steps than in Windows 7 but it is less efficient well.  As I said in Windows 7 the list of networks appears just above the system tray.  In Vista the list of networks opens in a new window in the centre of the screen it also takes more movement of the mouse or pen to connect to a network.

Overall the process of connecting to a network is much simpler in Windows 7, making a better mobile experience.

Kevin over at jkontherun points out that you can send a video (and presumably audio) podcasts from one Zune to another and recipient can even subscribe on the device.

Rob Greenlee figured out that video podcasts can be sent over WiFi from Zune to Zune using the sharing functionality built into the Zune 2.5 firmware. Here's the more important function in my mind: not only can you share that video 'cast with a Zune-mate, but he or she can then initiate a subscription to the podcast directly on their Zune. They just need to hold down the middle Zune button while the video podcast is playing and they'll see the "Subscribe" option appear. Next time they sync their Zune with a host PC running the Zune software, the new subscription will be added to their podcasts. Nice feature!

Very cool feature.  No if only I can find another person in Australia with a Zune I can try this out :) 

At CeBit I'll be experimenting with Windows Mobile blogging using Kevin Daly's new version of his Windows Mobile blogging app Dairist 2.

The application supports inserting images, which are uploaded to your blog on the fly straight from the device.  to make the process a little more seamless I have configured the camera on my HTC Tytn II to capture at 240x320.  I then just need to rotate the image and insert it into a post and click publish.  Very cool.  Thanks to Kevin for this great app.

I previously reviewed the Jabra JX10 headset - which I loved before.  However I have to say I am now blown away.

I left my JX10 in my jeans pocket and it went through the wash.  Easy enough to do because the device is so small and light that it could easily be missed when checking your pockets.

Incredibly the headset still works after it's submarine adventure.  This completely floored me.  This is a truly robust little device and I am more impressed than ever.

The folks at Jabra have been good to me.  They sent me a JX10 headset to evaluate.  This is a great little headset, but it is soooo much more as well.

The headset itself is small and light, but very easy to use.  The answer/hang-up button is located in the indent on the bottom of the headset.  There is no button in the top indent - it is just there to make it easy to find and press the button.  There are volume controls on the back of the ear piece, as is the USB connector for charging.

I've paired this with my Dopod C710 Smartphone and it works a treat - but as I said before there is so much more to this baby.  Lets take a look at what is in the box.

In addition the the usual assortments of cables and chargers that you find with every Bluetooth headset is something called "the hub".  That is this oblong box on the left.  This enables you to use the JX10 headset with your desk phone as well as your mobile phone!  How cool is that?

Looking closer at the hub...

The top cover comes off and reveals controls that let you tune the headset to the desk phone and adjust the headset volume.

Depending on your phone you may not use all the ports on the front.  If your phone has a headset port you just use one cable to connect the hub to the phone.  If it does not then you plug the handset into the hub and the hub into the phone - you can use it either way.  To make or answer a call on the desk phone you hit the button on the headset and then either hit the headset button on the phone (if you have one) or lift the receiver if you don't.  To answer a call on your mobile phone you just press the answer button.  You can also redial and voice dial from the headset if your mobile if you device supports those functions.  One little gotcha is that when you finish a call on your desk phone you need to remember to hit the headset button on the phone and the hang up button on the headset.  You get use to this soon enough.

The cable you need to connect the hub to your desk phone is, of course, included.

Also included is a charger that can either plug in directly to the headset or into the included desktop stand.

Another little gotcha here is that you need to make sure the headset is off when you charge it (as stated in the manual).  I have found that if you charge it while the headset is switched on then the next time you try to answer the desk phone it does not bring the audio to the headset.  It does not really matter as the battery life is spectacular so there is no need to have the headset sitting on the charger all day.

There is also a USB cable so that you can charge your headset when are on the go.  I love the way that the cable actually has a little "Jabra" label on the cable so that you can find the right cable in your kit bag with ease.  That is such a simple and practical little touch, and they are often the best. 

All told I am very impressed with this little unit - it is small, functional, stylish and very innovative.  Best of all - it just works!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the tablet and UMPC form factors lately.  I have always been a fan of the slate tablet form factor.  For my main machine I prefer slates.  I currently use a Motion Computing LS800 - which is a real gem of a machine.  Of my other previous and current tablets (and there have been a few) the only other one I think as highly of is the venerable HP TC1100.

There have been a number of events of late that have got me thinking about what my next tablet will be. 

Firstly, Motion have announced that they are discontinuing the LS800 - however they have not yet announced a successor.  Will they step up and plug the gap?  As Warner has already pointed out there are very few options for those of us looking for a small form factor device with a great ink experience. 

The other events that have had me thinking lately are the recent reviews I've done.  The Motion LE1700 has re-ignited my love of the larger slate.  That is a great unit.  A full sized slate with an active digitizer gives you the best inking experience you will find on a tablet PC.  Generally speaking slates are easier to hold and more natural to write on when they are being held.  You can comfortably use the device as you actually move.  That is mobility. 

In addition two UMPCs - namely the Fujitsu U1010 and the HTC Shift - have convinced me of the need for and utility of a keyboard on the small touch screen devices.  The ink experience is not good enough for me.  I would not use a UMPC for extended note taking or data entry.  So if the handwriting experience is not there - why wouldn't you want some kind of a keyboard for text entry?  Until that issue is fixed - either by hardware or by software - the original Origami dream of the super small, super light slate tablet will not be realised.

So where I am leading with this is I think that the ideal device combination for me on the market today is contrary to the market trends.  For my main machine I would favour a full sized slate with a good docking solution over a convertible.  Embedded 3g would be highly desirable.  For a secondary device I would go for a very small, touch screen convertible. 

Of course mobile devices are by their very nature a very personal choice.  YMMV.

One of the comments on my post about the HTC Shift's two operating systems has led me to a pretty interesting discovery.  There's a GPS in there!

In the screenshots of the tools in the HTC Debug Tools folder there is an icon called HTCGPSTool.

This led Hugo to ask if there was in fact a GPS in the device.

I had investigated this tool breifly over the weekend but it seemed a pretty basic tool and I had assumed that it was there to test an external GPS such as a bluetooth unit.  The comment got my interest up and I had some time on the train on the way to work, so I decided to investigate further. 

I started up the debugging tool.  There is a dropdown box with Com Ports listed.  By default it was on COM4.  I clicked on Open and low and behold I started seeing GPS strings in the output window.  I changed it to a different COM port and clicked open - and I got an error saying it could not find a GPS device.  Clearly the tool actually thinks there is a GPS in there.

I swapped back to COM4 and opened the port.  There are a number of tabs that show GPS information if you have a fix (which I didn't) and another radar display that shows the satellites that the device can see.  Initially there weren't any (hey I was on a train) but suddenly I saw one pop up.  It dropped off again a minute later.  I kept the GPSTool running when I got off the train.  As soon as I got out of the station and into some fairly open ground I got a satellite again.  Within 100m I had three more and even (breifly) got a fix.  Not bad in the middle of the CBD as the valleys between the buildings play hell with a GPS.  At my desk I can see one satellite - so I recorded a short video of the tool and clicked through the tabs before I had to give the device back.

So it would seem that the device does have a functioning GPS internally that is accessible inside of the Windows Mobile OS.  There is not, however, any software installed to actually use the GPS in Windows Mobile.

But - as I mentioned in my previous post is is possible to connect the Windows Mobile OS and the Windows Vista OS via Windows Mobile Device Centre over a "virtual" USB connection.  This means that it may be possible to install moving map software such as TomTom onto the Windows Mobile OS from Vista.

I could not find a way to access the GPS device from the Vista OS, nor could I see it listed in device manager.

Since HTC announced the Shift there has been some confusion about how the two operating systems on the device play together.  What can you do in each one?  Do they talk?

Well I have to preface this whole section by stating that as far as I know the software on the unit I had to evaluate is not the final version that will be on the devices when they ship.

In Windows Mobile...

The WM6 installation on the Shift has been stripped down and customized.  It is important to note that even though the device includes the 3G radio there is no phone application.  The Shift is not a voice device.  When you access the WM interface you are presented with a heavily customized Today screen.

This gives you access to your next couple of appointments, the date, time and calendar.  There are also buttons to access your full calendar, email, SMS, contacts, weather information and some settings.

The weather interface is quite nice - cool thunder storms tomorrow :)

The settings button takes you into an explorer view that gives you access:

Notice there are a bunch of things that are usually in WM6 that are missing?  Most of the settings interfaces have been replaced.  Don't expect to add too many applications either.  There is no programs folder so you would have to launch them through the file explorer.  And there is not much memory for running applications either.

The HTC Debug Tools folder in the settings folder gives you a bunch of little utils.  I don't know if this is going to be the same in the released version.

The bottom most icon in that - oops name was cut off - is called USBTool.  This offers a menu with two options - cable in and cable out.  When you select cable in with Vista running it creates a virtual USB connection between the two personalities of the HTC Shift.  This allows you to run up Mobile Device Center and explore the WM OS from Vista.  This makes it easier to set up things like Exchange ActiveSync.

The Windows Mobile OS stays running even when the Vista OS is sleeping or powered off.  If you configure it to use Direct Push you can receive your Exchange email even when Vista is off.  If you prefer or if you don't have an email account with Direct Push, you can use the virtual USB cable described above to sync directly with the local copy of Outlook in the Vista environment.  Of course in this configuration you will only see in WM a copy of what is in Vista.  You will not receive new emails while Vista is not running.

In Vista...

In Vista there is also a Connection Manager type of application that is called - for reasons that escape me - The Shag Control!  This is a fairly clean interface that gives you access to connection management, power management and other settings.  There is a gem buried in there - here's a tour:

Opinion

Given how stripped down the WM OS is I almost wondered why they bothered doing it that way.  I'm not saying that it is not useful - far from it - but I would almost rather that the second OS was implemented as a sideshow host rather than a WM environment.  You would not be able to do the push email, but you could access the data from the local instance of Outlook...  and potentially do a bunch of other cool things.  Food for thought.

In my previous post I gave a tour of the HTC Shift.  I promised to explore, among other things, what it is like to actually use the device.

One thing I quite like about the HTC Shift is that it is designed in such a way that it is very flexible.  There are three main ways in which you can use this device. 

Firstly you can use it as a slate.  Like most slates this has the advantage of actually being usable while you are standing up and moving around. 

The next option is to slide the screen up to expose the keyboard and use it as a thumb board.  This is a little cumbersome compared to other thumb boards, but it is usable. 

The third option is to put the device on a hard service and tilt the screen up, making it more like a laptop.

The video below explores these three modes.

Some questions I have had sent through about usage are below - with my answers in blue:

What is the screen like compared to the Q1 Ultra (or even the Q1)?

Similar - the screen is clear and viewable indoors.  The screen is not an outdoor viewable one, and the screen is hard to read in direct sunlight.

How long does the battery last under normal conditions?  In Vista? in WM6?

My experimentation here has been limited due to the short time I've had the device.  I've not tweaked the power settings at all, but at default it gets about 2 hours when using Vista for browsing and feed reading over wi-fi.  When I hibernated Windows Vista and left the device with Windows Mobile and push email the battery only lost 4% points of charge over 6 hours.  This leads me to believe that the battery life if you use Windows mobile exclusively will be measured in days.

How solid is the keyboard/screen mechanism?

It is easy enough to use but firm enough to support the weight of the screen at any viewing angle you should choose.

How useful is the touchpad?

It works well enough, but I don't tend to use it much.  I personally find it easier to just touch the screen.  One thing I did find odd is that it does not work in the Windows Mobile OS.  This seems a waste as WM does support using a mouse.

How useful is the WM6 component in reality?

I'll talk about this more in my next post.

How well will it work with voice applications such as Skype?

I did not try it, but I recorded a screencast on the device and the audio from the microphone seemed fairly good.  I would think that it would work well, though bear in mind that cellular networks such as HSDPA are usually quite latent and this can impact your voice experience.

I'll be interested in how the battery life is as well as the ease of text entry if you are holding it with both hands.

Battery life as above.  Yes you can use it holding it in two hands - using the keyboard like a thumb board.  As thumb boards go it is a fairly sizable one - and that can make text entry a bit cumbersome.

...the biggest question I have is regarding the battery life as I am considering a shift to replace my laptop. I have a desktop computer at work but regularly leave the office, travelling the country a fair bit and would like to know if the Shift could really satisfy my mobile needs?

It would depend on what you are wanting to do with it.  If you are primarily thinking of email then using Windows Mobile the battery life is stunning.  If you are wanting to use Vista for extended periods then the battery life could be an issue.  It is worth noting here that the power brick is quite small.

My Conclusions

The Shift is designed as a secondary device - to be used in conjunction with a "real computer".  At this it excels because you are actually getting a secondary device and a tertiary device in the one package.  I often say that mobility is all about having options.  Therefore a good mobile device needs to be a multi-tool.  Your Leatherman is not likely to be the best pair of pliers, knife or corkscrew you could own, but the fact that you have more than one tool in the same compact package is useful in and of itself. 

The Shift is the same deal.  The screen is ok for reading emails and browsing the web, but it can be a bit small for working on a large document, video or images.  There is of course a VGA port so you can always plug in a monitor.  Similarly the keyboard is neither a great keyboard or a great thumb board - but it can be used as either and that is powerful.  And of course there is a USB port - so you can plug stuff in.

I've now had some time with the HTC Shift and I'm getting to know it a lot better.  I've already had some questions posted in response to my earlier post - but I'll repeat the call.  I only have this device for the weekend so if there is anything you want me to investigate then post a comment and I'll do my best.

One of the first questions I had was from Chippy at UMPC Portal- is this unit the retail version?  The answer is no.  I understand the hardware is final, but the it does not have the final version of the system software installed on it.  This is an important caveat when I am talking about the software features of the Shift - they are not yet carved in stone.

I thought I would start with a tour of the physical device.  I'll follow up with posts about the software, usage and the interplay between the two operating systems.

In slate mode the Shift is small, thin and light.  On the front bezel there are a number of features worth noting.

In the top left corner there is a web camera.  In the top right there is an ambient light sensor. 

The two hardware buttons below the light sensor are function buttons.  When in Windows Mobile mode they don't do anything.  In Windows Vista the top button launches the Shift Control center.  The button below that toggles the screen resolution between 800x480 and 1024x768.

The black square below the two function buttons is a touch pad that allows you to control the mouse pointer in Windows Vista.  The left and right mouse buttons are the two buttons below the web camera on the left.  There are also two black oval slots.  These are the speakers.  Below the right speaker is the fingerprint reader.  Below the left speaker is the hardware button that toggles between Windows Mobile and Windows Vista.  Along the bottom of the screen (under my thumb) there are a number of indicator lights, including power, battery indicator, caps lock indicator, HDD activity, wireless indicator, 3g indicator and alert light.

On the right edge there is the power button, one USB port, the power input and an SD Card slot.

The silver power button is a soft switch.  Sliding this to the right toggles the power switch.  If you slide the switch to the left it locks in place and this disables all the buttons and the touch screen.

On the left side of the unit is the headphone jack.  This is on the left of the picture below.  Just visible on the right of the photo below is the inbuilt microphone.  There is also another hole on the front edge of the same corner.  Roughly in the middle is the slot for the stylus.  The stylus is ejected by pressing the end in, it then pops out.  When slotted in place it locks in positively.

On the top edge, when in slate mode, is a VGA output.

Sliding the screen upwards reveals a qwerty keyboard.  The screen slides up quite easily.  You can use the device quite comfortably in this mode while sitting or standing and using the keyboard as a thumb-board.

You can also convert the device into laptop mode.  The hinge is fairly stiff - this allows you to position the screen at any angle that suits you.  It does mean that you need a fair bit of leverage to pull it up.  You can achieve this one handed if you place your thumb at the base of the screen and pull up on the top edge with your fingers.

In order to use the onboard HSPDA you need to insert a SIM card.  To do this you need to remove the battery.  This is done by removing a cover on the back of the unit to expose the battery.  You then slide back two red clips that hold the battery in place.

Once you remove the battery you can see the SIM card slot. 

The only other points of interest on the back of the unit are three vents that let out heat and four rubber feel.  The rubber feet provide good grip on smooth surfaces - which is important when you have such a smooth finish on the unit.

Overall it is a good looking unit and feels well made.  Stay tuned for more on what you get when you fire it up.

Because I have a HTC Shift in my hot little hands for the weekend.

I'm really excited to have this opportunity. I think the Shift is an incredible and innovative device. Packed into it's tony frame are two operating systems - Windows Vista and Windows Mobile. It has embedded 3G wireless. There is a lot to play with.

Unfortunatly there is also a lot of confusion in the market about it as well. I aim to try and help clear someof that up. If there is something about the Shift you want me to check out while I have it leave a comment.

There is an issue that many mobile and tablet users have encountered with Windows Vista, myself included.  Warner Crocker also has encountered this issue and describes it thus:

I’m still frustrated with Vista on one front here and that is putting the Tablet PC to sleep. 3 times out of 4 everything will work as advertised. Close the lid, unit goes to sleep, open the lid, unit returns. But occasionally the OS just goes off into its own world without sleeping, or after a successful sleep, not returning. Occasionally it will return from sleep but the screen will stay dark.

I personally believe that this issue is not a Vista issue per se, but rather a driver issue.  I think that some drivers are poorly written and interfere with the sleep and resume process.  I also think that this issue is much more serious than it initially appears.  I have come to refer to it as the sleep of death.  But that I'll leave for another post. 

For Warner it seems his issues are related to when he is using Wi-fi.  For me it was BlueTooth.  Either way it points at drivers.

I’m beginning to think (this seems to be somewhat reproducible here) that these issues have something to do with being connected or disconnected to our WiFi network. Here’s what I’m experiencing and maybe someone smarter than me can help out here with some thoughts.

What worked for me was to disable the Power Management features for the affected driver.  For a wireless driver you would do this by going into Device Manager, right clicking on the relevant device and selecting Properties.

You may then see a Power Management tab.  Not all device or drivers implement this interface, so if yours does not you will not see the tab.

If there is one select that tab and then clear both of the checkboxes shown in the screenshot below. 

I have done this for my LS800 and it has all but eliminated the dreaded sleep of death issue.  I use to encounter this several times a week and now I get it less than once a month. 

I've been luck enough to have a Motion LE1700 in the house for a while but I have not had the time to really explore it.  I had just started having a real look at it when low and behold Motion needed it back.  C'est la vie.  I snapped a few photos before I sent it back so I could post this mini-review.  Click on any of the photos in this post for a larger image.  Motion have promised to send a unit with the WWAN module in it, so I'll do a full review then. 

I've had a couple of Motion slates in the past, including the LS800 I still use on a daily basis.  I have always found them to be well designed and with quality construction.  The LE1700 is no exception.  It has a very functional design and the silver and black finish is striking.  The unit is very comfortable to hold in either portrait or landscape mode, because it is very well balanced.

Here's a tour:

The tablet buttons are similar in design to previous Motion tablets.  There is a directional pad with enter in the middle, surrounded by four buttons.  On one side you have the programmable buttons, on the other you have an Esc button and a function button, which alters the action associated with the other buttons if you press it before another one of the buttons.

On the side below these buttons are the infrared port and the PCMCIA slot.  There is also a SD-card reader, but that is just out of the shot above - you can see it better below.

On the other end of the same side is the stylus and the antenna for the embedded WWAN module.  This particular unit did not actually have the WWAN module so I can't report on that, but you can see how the antenna can be raised up as shown or lowered so that it sits flush with the front of the tablet. 

The antenna is designed to snap on and snap off, so that if it takes a hard knock while raised it will snap off rather than breaking or transmitting any force into the body of the tablet.

Here's the antenna sitting flush.  Just below the antenna you can see one of the three microphones on the outer bezel of the tablet.  The other two are in the bezel as well, but in the bottom left and bottom right (when the unit is in landscape mode).

On the side below the screen (when the tablet is in landscape mode) is a Motion accessory port and (under the cover) a connector for when the tablet is used with either the convertible keyboard or the FexiDock.

On the left side of the tablet (when it is in landscape mode) you will find the following up the top on the front.  Two indicator lights - one for power and one for charge.  The fingerprint reader and the Windows Security button (pressing that is like pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del on a keyboard).  Notice there is no HDD activity light.  I've had another tablet without a disk activity light and it was a minor annoyance.  However the version of the Motion Dashboard that comes with the LE1700 puts an icon in the system tray.  This can optionally be configured to blink on disk activity - nice touch.

On the side of the unit below the activity lights are a hardware switch for the wireless, the power switch and two USB ports.  A couple of points worth mentioning here - the power switch is on the opposite side on this tablet than it is on my LS800 - though the units are otherwise laid out pretty similarly.  This is not a problem, but it does take a little getting use to.  However that is always the way with a new unit.

The other difference between the layout on the LE1700 and my beloved LS800 is that on the LS800 the USB ports are upside down - in that the top of most USB devices ends up facing towards the back of the tablet.  I'm pleased to report that this has been corrected on the LE1700.

In the middle of the left side there are microphone and headphone jacks; next to that is a DVI-D output, below which is a SIM card slot for the WWAN.  On the right of the photo below is a VGA output.

On the bottom left corner there is an RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet port and a laptop lock slot.  On the front bezel you can see another of the array microphones and the ambient light sensor.

Last but not least - on the back you will find three covers held in place with screws.  The top left one covers the WLAN and WWAN modules, the bottom left exposes the HDD and the third cover exposes the two RAM slots.  Very easy to service.  The sliding cover you can see exposes the extended battery connector.  One of the great features of the LE series tablets is the shape of the back - note how there is a slight inset about an inch below the top of the tablet?  This is so that when you fit the extended battery to the unit it sits quite flush.  Because the battery is rectangular and flat the additional weight is evenly distributed and the unit is still easy to use for extended periods when you are moving about.

Using the LE1700 is a joy.  I've had 12 inch slates before and I've had tablets with SXGA screens before (which gives you a native resolution of 1400x1050) but to have both really is having your cake and eating it, too.  The unit I had did not have the ViewAnywhere display option - having had that on my LS800 I would highly recommend it.  The unit I had was the Core 2 Duo model and the performance was fantastic.  It came with XP Tablet edition pre-installed, but with Motion's permission I rebuilt it with Vista.  The Vista experience is flawless.

Overall a great experience.

 this looks like a really great device for the mobile masses.

The ultimate in flexibility and portability, though, is being able to share that WWAN broadband signal across WiFi for others to enjoy. Cradlepoint Technologies to the rescue.

Cradlepoint Technologies CTR350 Cellular Travel Router ( $149 ) accepts USB based WWAN modems and mobile phones, then shares that broadband connection over a 802.11 b/g WiFi signal. If a phone is being used as the cellular modem, then the router also charges the phone. It is a great size and solution for traveling, and also for home use.

Check out pot's full post and video.

 Mauricio over at Geekzone points out that you can get free Wi-Fi with purchase at some Esquires Cafés in NZ.

I found out other day that you can get one hour (or 60 MB) of free Wi-Fi when you purchase anything at some Esquires Coffee Houses around New Zealand.
The wireless Internet access is being provided by Tomizone. You just have to buy something at Esquires and ask for your One Hour Pass card with an access code. Connect to the Tomizone hotspot, enter the code and off you go...

Good deal! Just last week I was looking for something similar is Sydney. So far without luck. Sydney - get your act together!

Not all of the Esquires stores offer, but the store locator tells you if they do or not.

This is a post I have been meaning to write for a while. 

There has been a lot of discussion of late about Vista and its readiness - or lack of - for the public.  Lots of people have lamented that Vista is just not there yet.  That it came out too soon.  That it is a failure.  Some have even reverted back to Windows XP as they believe that it is more stable and performs better.

Lots of people have voiced opinions one way or the other.  James Kendrick was one of the first to speak out against Vista, and his post  included most of the key gripes.

First and foremost in the area of performance.  I have not seen adequate performance running Vista on anything less than a Core 2 Duo processor.  Those are only available in the larger Tablets so the UMPCs and smaller Tablets are out of luck.  Vista also needs 2 GB of memory to run well and the smaller mobile devices usually are only offered with 1 GB, which isn't enough. 

...

If you use Sleep and Resume you quickly fall victim to the dreaded Vista la-la land where the device fails to resume properly.  Sometimes the device comes back fine but without a screen which is oh so useful.  Other times it comes back but hangs the entire device up in just a few seconds. 

...

One of the most beneficial things you can do to improve the mobile device experience is use it with a dock.  Don't even get me started with how badly Vista handles docking and undocking of these mobile devices, especially if you hang an external monitor off the dock.

Other general concerns are performance, battery life and mysterious disk thrashing. These are all real and valid concerns.  However, they are not the end of the world and they are not unique to Vista.  In fact - I believe that many of them are not the fault of Vista at all. 

I disagree with those that say that Vista is a dog and I will not be going back to XP on any of my machines - ever.

The first point I will make in Vista's defense is to point out that not everything bad that happens in on a computer is the fault of the OS.  On every single computer there are hundreds of device drivers and bits of software that could be the culprit for some of the issues outlined above.  Specifically the resume from sleep and docking station issues described above are most likely driver issues.  XP has been around for a while and hardware manufacturers have had a lot of practice writing nice, stable and functional drivers for the XP platform.  Vista is both new and very different.  I am disappointed, but not very surprised, that driver support is not that great.

Secondly, none of this is new to Vista.  I am an IT consultant.  I worked on a very early Windows XP deployment for a government client in New Zealand.  And guess what?  Driver support was appalling across the board, but it was worse for mobile PCs.  Performance was a joke.  There was no way Windows XP could really run on a machine that just met the minimum specs.  Blue screens and hangs were common.   When XP shipped it was worse than my experience working on a project with Vista in the Technology Adoption Program using beta code.  The released code is far and away more stable than Windows XP was at the same time in the product lifecycle.  What is significantly different is that the flaming and debate happened in the newsgroups rather than on the blogs we have today, which was much more of a closed community.

When Microsoft ships a new OS they tend to lead the hardware.  By that I mean that it is the hardware that comes out 6 months after the OS that runs it really well.  I think this is probably intentional - perhaps because it then extends what they can include in the product at ship date, bearing in mind that it will need to be a viable product for a couple of years.  I suspect that this will be the same for future OS releases.

The short version of all of that is that the issues we are seeing today are normal for a new OS and they are much more complex than "Vista is Bad".  Some of the blame rests with application developers.  Some rests with hardware manufacturers and some rests with Microsoft, but it will all be fixed in the fullness of time.

Until then I won't go back - simply because the benefits out weigh the pain.  The tablet functionality is way better.  The networking is better.  The Mobility Center is better.  Presentation mode rocks.  All of that functionality is nothing compared to the security enhancements.  When XP shipped the world was a different place.  The general public knew about viruses but had never heard of root kits, malware or spyware.  The Internet was not the efficient distribution system of nasties that it is today.  User Access Control (UAC) and protected mode IE go a long way to preventing then initial infection and Windows Defender makes it easier clean up after the fact.

Vista is here to stay.  I'm not going back and the experience will get better as the hardware catches up.

looking for a venue for the previously mentioned Geek Coffee in Sydney. Can anyone recommend a cafe in Sydney CBD that has WiFi? Not a must have but nice to have...

 Skype is claiming that the recent outage was caused by Windows Update:

On Thursday, 16th August 2007, the Skype peer-to-peer network became unstable and suffered a critical disruption. The disruption was triggered by a massive restart of our users'€™ computers across the globe within a very short timeframe as they re-booted after receiving a routine set of patches through Windows Update. The high number of restarts affected Skype' s network resources. This caused a flood of log-in requests, which, combined with the lack of peer-to-peer network resources, prompted a chain reaction that had a critical impact.

Loren the Incremental Blogger sounds a bit skeptical and I agree.

I thought that the Windows Updates weren't all done at once--I doubt Microsoft would want the load either. I don't doubt Skype's word that there was a significant load in their app being launched and then users signing on, but it sure would be interesting to hear from Microsoft whether there was any unusual traffic from their perspective that pacth Tuesday.

I think this explanation from Skype is weak. We know the vast number of consumers don't change the default settings, which are to automatically update at 3am in their local timezone. This is going to cause the updates to be fairly well distributed over a 24 hr period.

A high number of login requests does not necessarily mean that lots of machines restarted. Simply that they lost their connection with Skype. It would seem that if this were to happen to a large number of users around the globe simultaneously the root cause would most likely be at the one thing all these machines connect to - Skype itself.

With a Windows Mobile 5 device, once it was paired with your Tablet you could create a dial up connection on your computer that would connect to the Internet via whatever data protocol your device uses (e.g. EVDO, GPRS or HSDPA).

With Windows Mobile 6 you can still connect to the Internet using your SmartPhone as a modem, but the process is slightly different and requires you to complete steps on both the device and on your tablet.  The following steps outline the process.  This assumes you have already paired your phone with the tablet.

1) On the Windows Mobile 6 device select Internet Connection Sharing

2) Next click the Connect button.  This establishes the connection to the Internet and readies the device to accept a connection from your tablet.

Now that the mobile device is ready to accept the connection you need to go to the tablet to establish the connection. 

3) On the tablet right click the Bluetooth icon in the system tray and select join a personal area network.

4) In the Bluetooth Personal Area Network Devices dialog select your phone in the Access Points area and then click connect.

Viola - you are online!

Warner Crocker over on GBM has spotted a press release from Qantas announcing that it will be offering Wi-fi and electrical outlets in the premium economy section on some of their new fleet...

Don’t you wish every airline would do this? No word on how much this will add to the cost of the flight.

While I don't know how much it will cost for PE on Qantas I do know that Air New Zealand has offered power in their PE section for quite some time.  On a Auckland to LA flight booked at the last minute I know that this adds about NZ$600 one way.  With the way the NZ dollar is at the moment (about US$0.80) this equates to US$480.  If you are travelling for work having power on an 11hr flight is well worth it.  As a bonus you get more leg room and better food as well.  That said when I fly for work they always stick me in (false) economy.  The only time I've flown premium was when I upgraded on my airpoints.

Air New Zealand don't offer Wi-Fi though - I wonder how effective that is going to be?  I am hanging out to try it.

Broadband at home again. I've been connectivity challenged since leaving NZ, but while I was awayin the US our ADSLwas provisioned and ourcontainer arrived. I just finished setting up our ADSL & Wi-fi at home.

Feeds, whenever I want! Yay!

At TechEd, as you might imagine, there is a lot of wireless noise. There is the conference wi-fi, but there are also a bunch of ad-hoc or computer to computer networks with remarkably similar names. In the wireless list infrastructure and ad-hoc networks have different icons.

You have to question the motives of people trying to fists for wi-fi users like that. while I know better than to go connecting to ad-hoc networks willy nilly, I wanted to remove the risk of accidentally connecting to one with the same name.

In Vista you can, via the command line, filter the list of available wireless networks. To filter out ad-hoc networks run the following from a command line (running as admin, all on one line)

netsh wlan add filter permission=denyall networktype=adhoc

to reverse this again run the following:

netsh wlan del filter permission=denyall networktype=adhoc

I'm trying out a Vodafone 3G Connect HSDPA modem for work. I found the 32-bit Vista driver on the Vodafone Australia website. Install under Vista took ages, but it was well worth it. I'm browsing my feeds and so far it has not missed a beat. Very cool. I'll do a proper speed test later today but for browsing at least it is quite snappy.

On the floor @ CeBIT Australia I just came across the coolest Wi-fi access point for travel. The Level 1 WAP-0004.

 Pictured next to my LS800 you can see it is tiny.

Again, the RJ-45 connector in the back gives you on idea of scale.

This looks just great. very small and light. Can be powered off mains or USB I includes a carry case & cables and runs at just AU $99.95

So I have arrived today in Sydney and I'm in the process of looking for a house to rent.

Man it is hard to find good wi-fi in this city!  I'm not just talking about open networks here, either.  I'm in the CBD and willing to pay for access, but it is just hard to find.  I did find a Telstra hotspot in a McDonalds, but it would not take the type of credit card I wanted to pay for it with. 

I've been to Sydney many a time before, but for the last few years I have always been roaming with my work provided EVDO phone and connectivity has not been a problem.

This time however I had to hand back my work provided device and I only have a data challenged pre-pay phone until I get into the office next week.  I thought no problem, I'll just buy wi-fi for the weekend and then pick up my work phone on Monday.  No joy there.

This is quite a surprising contrast to Wellington - which has the CBD fairly well blanketed by CafeNET, with the odd Telecom hotspot thrown in for luck. 

Frankly I would expect more from any city the size of Sydney.  The crazy thing is that there appears to be demand.  I'm staying at a backpackers in town.  I went up to the common room and asked the people there if they knew where to get access.  They have been having the same issues and directed me to Everywhere Internet. I finally found it and that at least gives me a wired connection for my own device.  But the place is packed!  There has to be a business opportunity here for someone ;-)

Among the things in my backlog of "things I should be blogging about but have not had the time" are a couple of new gadgets that I have acquired of late.

First up is a Zune that I purchased while in the US recently. 

So far I am quite happy with it - apart from the absolute debacle of trying to install the software on my tablet while I was in Seattle.  Both my "Documents" and "Pictures" folders were offline copies of a network drive.  This is not something that the Zune software could cope with - it would error out with an error with words to the effect that the drive was invalid. 

Being a long time media centre user who has never owned an iPod I find the interface exceptionally easy to use.  I have yet to "squirt" anyone yet as I only know one other person with a Zune in Wellington.

The other device I picked up is a Samsung Q1P that has been provided for evaluation (of hardware and software).  This is running Windows Vista Ultimate and has a bunch of evaluation software - much of which is of little use to me outside the US unfortunately.  This warrants a whole series of posts but suffice to say for now that I am having a pretty good Vista-gami experience on the Q1P at the moment.

When I first posted about the release of the new EVDO bump case for the LS800, Suzanne McClure from Elegant Packaging offered to send me one to review.  Naturally I jumped at the opportunity. 

The case came via Motion Computing's Australian office - so it took a while to get here, but it arrived this morning.

For evaluation I have borrowed a MiniMax USB EVDO modem, which is distributed by Telecom (my employer) here in New Zealand.

The case is an updated version of the standard bump case (which I also own so I have something to compare it to) that includes an elastic loop on the front and internal cable routing to support a USB EVDO modem.  Pictured below is the case with both the LS800 and the MiniMax fitted.

The elastic loop and the moulded padding around the modem hold the modem snugly in place.  It is certainly not going to dislodge easily.  Close up of the EVDO modem.

In fron of the elastic loop is a nylon flap that velcros down to secure any excess USB cable.  This flap also covers the slot that lets you take the cabling inside the case.

The cable can then be routed out the top left corner of the case for a straight drop down to the USB port.  This could be tidied up further by using a USB cable that has a right angle connector on this end of the cable, but I did not have one available.

This case shipped with an adjustable shoulder strap that attaches to two D-rings on either side of the carry handle.  Attaching the strap gives you perhaps one of the geekiest geek bags one can have :)

Like the original bump case the EVDO version includes an integrated wire stand that can be set at a fairly wide range of angles by adjusting a velcro strap.  The same velcro strap can be cinched tight to keep the stand tucked in place when it is not required.

Another nice improvment of the EVDO bump case over the original is that it will fit the LS800 with either the standard or extended battery fitted.  To be fair the extended battery didn't exist when I got my first bump case so I can't fault the old version too much.  This is achieved with the help of a removable insert that attaches to the inside of the top flap of the case via velcro.  The insert is simply removed when the LS800 is used with the extended battery.

Over all the case looks very well constructed.  My other case has held up very well over time and I have every reason to expect this one to do the same.  Like the original the EVDO case is well designed and provides complete access to almost all of the ports, buttons and inputs on the device.  My one compaint here is that one of the USB ports is covered and one is not.  I would prefer to have both ports uncovered as it would save me having to use a USB hub if I wanted to setup my mobile desktop and use both my BenQ mouse and the EVDO modem.

Finally, I have heard from a colleague that he recieved a case where the wire poked out of the piping on the edge of the case.  There is no evidence of that with the unit I recieved.  I suggested that he return the case and ask for a new one.  Based on my one I would think that his one was an annomolly.

Full disclosure - I do not have to return the case.  I use an LS800 as one of my main PCs so I will be keeping it.

 This had me cracking up.  A very cool use of mobile tech that only a true geek would think of.  That's not an insult - I am safe in the knowledge that true geeks don't mind being called geeks.

...the problem: how the heck can I tell what eyeglass frames look good on me? Truth is: I can't because the frames have clear glass in them, which obviously does nothing for my eyesight. I usually bring someone with some fashion sense with me, but today I couldn't. What to do, what to do......

The answer hit me while I was waiting to be helped. I had my XV 6700 Windows Mobile phone with me and it has a 1.3 Megapixel camera in it, right? I decided to snap pics of myself in potential frames, and then put my glasses on to view the actual pics. Heck, if I wanted to, I could have do a whole little fashion show and recorded a video!

So that solved the majority of my dilemma. Using the camera, I could take pics and then review them with my corrected vision. The other issue I had was getting a second opinion on my choices. Barb couldn't join me at the store, but once I had the pics, it was a simple matter of sending her the pics in an e-mail via the EV-DO connection. Sure enough: I got the thumbs up in about 3 minutes.

Good to see that you also check with your fashon advisor ;-)

Source: Mobile tech just solved a 28 year old problem
Originally published on Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:18:50 GMT by Kevin C. Tofel

A couple posts recently, including this one from Marc Orchant and this one from Rob Bushway have asked readers to delve into their gadget bags and reveal what is inside.  I try to always walk the line of taking everything I need and nothing extra.  As such I have a couple of different setups that I use, depending on where I am going and what I am doing.

This post is the first in a series exploring my mobile setups that I use.  Today I am looking at my lightest mobile computing load.

My Lite Load is what I take with me when I'm popping out of the office for up to 2 hours.  I use this when I am going out to client meetings, meeting colleagues for coffee or lunch and scooting around the office.

The surprising thing about my Lite Load gadget bag is that there is not actually a bag - here's what I take with me as a bare minimum.

That's it.  There is the LS800 in it's bump case and my Telecom HTC Apache (which is the NZ version of the Sprint PPC 6700).

The Apache is used as a Bluetooth modem if connectivity is required and there is no wi-fi coverage handy.  Because this burns battery, especially on the phone, I tend to work offline and only connect if I need to get something or feel like synchronizing.  The main application I use that needs to sync is of course Outlook.  I always work in cached Exchange mode, so working offline is completely seamless.  As soon as I go on line or dock the tablet any emails I have composed offline are sent and calendar or contacts added are synchronized with the server.

Actually to be fair there is also usually a 512MB Swissbit Victorinox in my pocket as well, but that is more habit than planning!

If you have been using Windows Vista and you have set up a connection to a wireless network you may have noticed – as I did – the text at the bottom that reads "If you have a USB Flash drive with Network Settings for XXXXXX, insert it now."

This caught my attention the first time I saw it and I had even made a couple of cursory attempts to figure out how to save settings onto a USB key – to no avail. Today I decided to try and figure it out once and for all.

I started out by searching Google and found nothing of much use – though it did lead me to the Windows Vista online help. I searched through the online help and that was not much help at all. So I decided to do it the old fashioned way and have a good hunt around... and I figured it out! Here's how you save Wireless network settings onto a USB Flash drive in Windows Vista. (If you already have the network configured on your Vista machine – delete it before you begin.)

1. Start by right clicking the network icon in the System tray and selecting Connect to a network.
2. In the Connect to a network dialog click on the link down the bottom that reads "Set up a connection or network"
   
3. On the Choose a connection option page click on Set up a wireless router or access point and click Next.
   
4. You then get this welcome screen that tells you what the Wizard is going to do – click Next
   
5. After a short detection process (which for me did not detect anything – YMMV) you are presented with an option to Create wireless network settings and save to a USB Flash drive – click on that and click Next.
   
6. On the network name dialog you need to enter the SSID of you wireless network. Unless you have not yet configured you wireless access point do not just accept the default here – the SSID must match what is configured on your AP.
   
7. After that you need to enter the network pass phrase. Again – the settings entered here need to match those configured on you AP. Enter the key and click next.
   
8. You then get an option to configure sharing – or you can choose not to enable sharing for this connection – you can always change it on the client later.
   
9. You then get a save settings dialog that will allow you to save to a USB key. Insert a USB key and make sure it is selected in the dropdown, then click next.

   

10. On the final screen you get instructions on how to transfer these settings to other machines.

Basically you just insert the USB key into a Windows XP or Windows Vista client machine and – assuming auto run is enabled - you will be prompted to run the Wireless Network Setup Wizard.

The setup Wizard is so easy I did not even bother to screen shot it. There are two dialogs. The first one asks if you want to setup XYZ network. The second confirms that is succeeded. Too easy.

If you are looking at deploying Vista into your corporate environment and you have an Active Directory based domain you can now use Group Policy to configure Wreless networking settigns on the clients.  To do this you need to extend the schema to accomidate the additional attributes requried by the policies.

This white paper explans what you can manage and describes the process of extending the schema to support GPO management of Wireless settings.

The other day I managed to get hold of a MiniMax EVDO modem for a short time.  Although I can find it anywhere on their website this EVDO modem is available through Telecom NZ.  If you're interested in purchasing one you can contact your local Telecom store.  I was keen to get a chance to try it in Windows Vista.

I connected to the modem to my LS800 using the USB cable provided.  I then tucked the modem in behind the strap on my LS800's bump case.

Although the device driver was not available via Windows Update I was able to do and he windows XP driver to install and function correctly.  The dialer application shown below was intuitive and easy-to-use.

I only time to do a quick speed test, which gave me a download speed of just under 300 kilobytes per second.  I have arranged to get one for a longer period of time when I get my EVDO bump case for my LS800.  At that time I will do further speed testing and report back on the impact on batterylife.

I'm using Vista on my Toshiba M400 now and a couple of people have asked me how I got the EV-DO card to work in Vista.  the answer is very well thankyou :)

The card in question is a Sierra Wireless Aircard 580 and this is what I did to make it work.

1. Install Vista
2. Do not install the manufacturer's XP software.  This has not been updated for Vista (yet)
3. With Vista running and connected to the internet insert the Aircard.
4. When prompted search for a driver.
5. Vista will pull down a driver from Windows Update.
6. Once all the componets have installed create a new dial-up connection with the Sierra Wireless Aircard selected as the modem.  The following settings are for Telecom New Zealand - these are not secret, they are on the web site if you look hard enough.  Check with your provider for their settings.
   Dial up number: #777
   Username: mobile@jamamobile
   Password: telecom
7. That's it. Dial that connection and within a few seconds you will have a nice, fast EV-DO connection to the internet.

I seem to have exceeded my monthly download limit and my broadband connection has been throttled back to dial-up speeds - ouch!  :(  That's the terms of the plan I selected - I would rather be throttled than hit with a hefty excess usage bill.

It's my own fault for not monitoring my usage.  Downloading 2 different Vista builds in this billing cycle was enough to push me well over the edge.  Oh well - my billing cycle ends on Monday - I'm sure I can cope for 2 days.  After all I do have an EVDO card as well :)

The latest Vodafone add caught my attention for two reasons.  The first reason is that it includes what appears to be a Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 touchscreen tablet in use in the field.

The tablet is in use as part of a solution on an America's Cup race yacht.  Under the rules of the Americas Cup all there can't be communications gear on the yacht during the race.  In order to start the race with the best possible information the crews keep these GSM connected devices onboard to get the latest weather information then put them in a baggie and throw them over the side seconds before crossing the start line.

The other thing that caught my eye is that - IMO - it is not the best solution.  Before I explain why, let me state my bias.  I work for Telecom NZ which is a competitor of Vodafone NZ.  That said everything on this blog is my opinion and may or may not be the opinion of my employer (as per the disclaimer).

The reason I say it is not the best solution is that they are trying to get data from the teams weather boat to the race boat.  Both boats are in the same general area and there are several other team boats in the area.  Why pay cellular data charges when you could easily set up a moving wireless mesh network with a node on each of the support boats.  This would give bandwidth measured in 10s of megabits rather than 100s of kilobits and much lower latency.  In addition, out on the water you are somewhat removed from land based cell sites, however conditions are excellent for a localized mesh!

This is a good example of why going forward a company such as Telecom, which was a telco but has purchased IT capability, has a distinct advantage over competitors that are purely telcos.  In a situation where cellular voice and data don't make sense they either have to pushin a less-than-optimal solution or walk away.  If they do the former they risk damaging their reputation and/or the relationship with the customer.  If they do the later they don't make any money.  The converged company, by contrast, can still put in a good solution AND make money.  Win for the customer and the company.

If you are interested the Vodafone ad can be viewed here (WMV format).

James Kendrick points to a very useful tool if you ever try to navigate the web on a mobile device such as a PDA, a phone, or some lovechild of the two...

Google Mobilizer provides a minimalist interface that allows the user to enter a url.  Mobilizer will fetch the content and present it in a mobile device friendly format - optionally without pictures.  Very cool - add it to your mobile favorites.

I recently blogged about the very clever DotSurfer EVDO card that has a built in USB connection, allowing it to be used with devices without a PC Card slot.

This is available in New Zealand through Telecom, but AFAIK not in the US.  This left several readers asking "What about us?"

Now there is an answer (other than move to NZ) that will be available in the US in Feburary 2006.

James Kendrick points to the very cool Elan Digital Systems U132 - an apadtor specifically designed for portable devices without a PCMCIA slot.

"What makes the introduction of the U132 so exciting is the list of 3G cards the company is listing as compatible:

• Alltel CDMA, USA (Kyocera Wireless Passport KPC650)
• Iusacell CDMA, Mexico (Kyocera Wireless Passport KPC650)
• MTN Mobile Office Fusion Card, South Africa (Option Fusion)
• Movistar CDMA, Argentina (Kyocera Wireless Passport KPC650)
• Optimus Telecommunications, Portugal (Huawei E600)
• Orange Mobile Office Fusion Card, UK + France (Option Fusion)
• Sprint CDMA, USA (Novatel Wireless S620)
• T-Mobile, Germany + Austria (Option Fusion)
• Verizon CDMA, USA (Kyocera Wireless Passport KPC650)
• Verizon CDMA, USA (Novatel Wireless V620)
• Vivo CDMA, Brazil (Kyocera Wireless Passport KPC650)
• Vodacom UMTS, South Africa (Fusion Card)
• Vodafone UMTS, UK (Mobile Connect Card)"

This looks like a great addition to any mobli-geek's kit bag.  The WiFlyer is a portable wi-fi access point that can allow you to use your hotel broadband away from the desk.  And if the hotel does not have broadband all is not lost.  From the GeekZone review:

"In addition to being a wireless access point, the WiFlier also has an ethernet adapter, so you can plug a non-wireless capable computer directly to the small box.

But what is really interesting is its ability to connect to a phone line and dial-up to your ISP, as a modem - a wireless modem for that matter. It comes with a built-in V.92/V.90 compatible modem, with digital PBX protection, as an alternative connection"

Check out the full review here. 

Check out this very cool mini USB EVDO modem from Maxon in Australia.  Just what one needs if they have an ultra-mobile tablet without a PC Card slot...  Like the very small Motion LS800 I'm playing with this this weekend.

Features and Benefits

• EVDO with backwards compatibility to IS-95A/B and 1xRTT
• Wireless Internet anytime anywhere
• Data (Packet / Circuit )  Voice, SMS & Fax
• Direct connection to desktop PC’s & notebook computers
• Windows 2000, Windows XP, Mac OS (10.3.7 and later)
• Exceptional price and performance
• Open hardware interface via USB