code clicks ‘n’ caffeine

Newly launched HTC Touch HD has to be my favourite Windows Mobile phone ever. Although I am happy with my Treo 750 but a 3.8″ display with a resolution of 800×480 is hard  to resist. You need to watch the youtube video to see it in comparison with Samsung Omnia & iPhone.

Some key highlights …

• 3.8-inch wide, WVGA (480 X 800 pixel) display offering a cinema experience on the go
• Vibrant TouchFLO^TM 3D user interface, responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media
• Surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA internet connectivity
• Google Maps enhanced by the wide screen viewing platform
• 5 megapixel camera for quality stills and video
• 3.5 mm audio jack makes the Touch HD^TM compatible with the majority of audio equipment available
• 512 MB of ROM and 288 MB of RAM

Other features which are pretty regular for a WinMo device unlike other “ultra cool” phones …

• GPS
• WiFi
• microSD slot
• FM Radio

Find complete spec sheet here and can watch more coverage on Engadget.

Touch HD is not yet announced for India and its not even reflecting on the HTC India website but the grapevine has it that it should be available by the end of the year and would be priced cheaper than an iPhone. I would not doubt the price tag looking at the aggressive expansion plans for India

Where to buy an HTC device? Check out this link to find a dealer in your city.

Mobile phone also adds the capability of multiplayer games on a wifi network or using bluetooth which make it even more interesting. Today, there are tons of games available for mobile phones, atleast for the major platforms like Symbian and Window Mobile. I am not a symbian user which is why i am not mentioning any links here but i am sure it would be easy to search on the web.

Some games which you must have if you are a Window Mobile user …

1. Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 - Windows Mobile

Call of Duty 2 for pocket PCs and handheld devices is optimized for Intel Corporation’s newest processor family for portable devices (codenamed Monahans) based on third-generation Intel XScale® architecture. Activision’s Call of Duty 2 is an award-winning, intense and cinematic first-person action game that transports gamers to the front lines of World War II.

Multiplayer features:

• Unprecedented online multiplayer for the Windows Mobile platform
• Works over 802.11 WiFi and subscription-based mobile broadband
• 4 player Deathmatch and Team-Deathmatch modes
• Optimized for XScale processors
• LAN, dedicated server hosting, and host and play with your PocketPC

2. Guitar Hero 3 Mobile 

Guitar Hero 3 Mobile

If you loved Guitar Hero on XBOX 360 then you will definitely like this one. Rock out anytime, anywhere with this rhythm-based, three button game that stays true to the original. Open with 15 jamming tracks, all taken from the Guitar Hero console series.

3. Scrabble

Scrabble for Windows Mobile

Need i say more? If you love Scrabble or word games in general you will just love having this on your WinMo. Even better play in multiplayer mode using IR beaming.

4. Pac-Man

Pac Man for Windows Mobile

How can you not have Pac Man on your mobile. The arcade classic can fit in your pocket right and will never let you get bored, the experience is also very close to the original one.

5. Quake 3 Arena

Quake 3 for Windows Mobile

There are many ported versions of Quake for Windows Mobile and one will have to od a quick search to figure out the most recent one. This one is the closest to the actual look and feel on the PC and you can watch the video for more details. 

Quake is quite an fps intensive game, i feel that the game play will vary from device to device and it will surely be better on mobile phones which use hardware accelaration such as Dell Axiom. This might not give a good experience on many devices.

Thats it for now, watchout this space for more reviews in future.

Its been long time since I have been hooked on to a window mobile device and been trying a lot of mobile software and some are worth a mention. Always wanted to post a review of software which I tried/liked or loved but somehow didn’t manage to find enuf time. Will try to make smaller and smarter posts of only the ones which are good or worth a mention.

This time its just home screens (utility software which can change the look and customize your first screen) which can work wonders if you customize them properly. One can get a lot of info just on the top screen, like unread sms’s (recent 3 or any number), unread mails (recent 2-3 mails or so), next meeting time and location, upcoming birthdays, stock quotes, weather in the city, rss feeds etc. etc

Lets get on to the list and not waste time

SPB Pocket Plus (The best available software for WM in this category)

SPB Pocket Plus 4.0 has just been released and it is truly a time saver if you use your mobile a lot.

Check the video demo for the possibilities and new features. The best features in my opinion will be the customizable today screen (icons and shortcuts), tabbed browsing in IE, smart scrolling, Close button extension and Better file handling which includes zip support. I would suggest going through this review on unwired once to realize the full capabilities and to the extent you can customize with tons of icons and settings.

SBSH iLauncher (a similar looking one but not that great other than the home screen)

Goodwin Pocket PC home screen

iPhone home screen for PPC

This post wont be complete without the mention of this home screen which is like God for all the pocket pc junkies who just care for looks. Yo baby, check out this cool video and see for yourself.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much to pretty up the exterior of the device, but it does manage to successfully emulate some of the iPhone’s more notable *bells ‘n’ whistles*, including its trademark finger-touch scrolling, its slide-to-lock feature, and its now-familiar menu system, all of which was apparently written in PPL (Pocket Programming Language).

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