Head on here to download your copy (resolution specific).

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PointUI Home 2 Is Here

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Introduction

I first came across the BOLT broswer a couple of weeks ago on XDA Developers where one of the members brought it up and was asking for opinions. Going to BOLT’s website did pique my interest with its potential but the lack of a referral code (which is required for its current closed beta trial) had me disappointed. Fast forward to today when a I stumbled across a referral code from SolSie.com (referral code: THBOLT) and you now have this short article which I can’t wait to share.

BOLT is a JAVA-based web browser so you’d think to pit it against the Opera Mini. However, it does have some rather interesting capabilities such as limited video streaming (which can be found in Skyfire) and split view. So how does the web browser itself handle?

Installation

Not really a breeze. After registration, I was emailed the link to download the file which was trouble-free. Not so after that. The file had no extension so I could not open it with the JAVA manager on the Touch HD. It was only after the jad extension (not .jar) was added that things got moving along again. Installation completed as expected from there.

First Impression

When you first run BOLT, it will ask if you want it to let it communicate with it’s server which looked rather dubious. Putting the URL that it requested into my desktop browser brought this page up:

So it seems that the developers of ThunderHawk, a really great subscription-based browser, are behind the BOLT browser as well. I couldn’t confirm this but considering that the browser was communicating with this server would suggest so. Not a bad start.

But from there on, I realized that the BOLT browser was maybe not meant for high resolution screens. The fonts were really small and even at the highest magnification in the settings, it didn’t really help.

There was a mouse cursor which would be great for those who do not have a touch screen device as you could then use that cursor to help you navigate a site.

Other than that, the interface reminded me a lot of Opera Mini, but with a blue theme. Unlike Opera Mini though, the settings on BOLT is rather clunky. From the Start page that you see on the left, the only setting made available to me was for font size. It was only after viewing a web page that the Settings option gets populated with choices like image quality and mobile view.

Navigation

So let’s get to the meat and potatoes of BOLT: the browsing aspect. It does load pages really quickly, thanks to server-side rendering that shrinks the amount of data needed to be sent to your phone. I was able to load the NY times in under 10 seconds.

What I find interesting is the split screen function which I have not seen on any other browser at the moment. With split screen, the lower quarter of the screen shows you the zoom in version on a section of the page while the rest of the screen above it shows a page overview. To me, this was a really nifty way of viewing web pages because you no longer had to zoom in and out and pan across pages to find what you were looking for.

Once you found where that content was, double tapping on it would remove that preview pane and zoom in. It is a rather different way of browsing but after a couple of minutes of using it, you do come to appreciate this fresh way of surfing on a mobile device.

The rest of the interface did not get in the way of navigation and on the Touch HD, this can be a really problem. It’s already a disappointment to me that everything is so small and I need to pull out the stylus due to the lack of a DPAD on the Touch HD. But when the 2 softkeys disappear when you are on a page (I guess it’s part of the design) and you don’t have buttons on the device corresponding to it, bringing them up can be a hassle. Numerous times I tried and I would be hitting the Phone or Home key on the HD, causing me to exit the application. I guess users with more buttons or at least a DPAD would not be facing such a problem.

Video Playback

The last thing that I wanted to cover was that of video playback. According to BOLT’s FAQ:

BOLT supports media streaming Web sites, such as www.youtube.com, video.google.com, video.yahoo.com, vids.myspace.com, espn.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, and metacafe.com.

Depending on your phone, BOLT may play the video directly in the browser window, or it may play it through your device’s default media player.

Heading over to YouTube.com to test, you get the screen that I did as well. However, once you press play, the video is actually downloaded via PIE and automatically played by Media Player. Once you are done viewing and choose to exit, it would automatically go back to BOLT. Not really the clean solution I was hoping for but it does work.

Conclusion

BOLT definitely has the potential to be a great browser. It does have a lot of bugs at the moment but considering it still is in closed beta, that’s forgivable. On top of that, I was using a WVGA resolution device which is not widely supported, and you put those 2 together, the experience is not exactly a walk in the park.

As a Windows Mobile user, BOLT definitely has it’s work cut out for it. There are numerous options out there which does a great job but I can see it carving out a nice niche for itself on dumbphones which do not have a great browser to begin with (not counting Opera Mini).

If you are interested to give BOLT a try, head on over here and use referral code THBOLT to get your download link. I am not sure how long this code will last so grab it while it’s hot.

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This Browser’s Gonna BOLT You Off Your Feet

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After downloading and installing, you choose country code and service provider for the reverse lookup. From there, you can tweak other settings such as auto-start, react to your stylus pull and how you want your newly found contacts saved.

The next time your phone rings, you’ll know who exactly is calling you. The application is still new and needs some work a great start nonetheless.

I’d recommend you autostart this application only if you have a high-speed data connection as it needs to access a server when a call comes in do the lookup.

That’s not to say those on the slower EDGE/GPRS network would find this useless because you can still use the application to find out who that missed call numbers belong to.

Another cool feature I found is that the application relies on the a server which allows the developer to easily add more countries and service providers without having users to install a newer version of the software.

Head over here to download the application. Be sure to share your findings with the developer so he can improve it.

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Find Out Who’s Calling You

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Intro

The HTC Touch HD burst onto the scene in early September of 2008 and went on sale just over a month later. Some call it the best device out of HTC in a long time. Others called it the iPhone/Storm/whatever you want to call it killer. Whatever it is, the Touch HD was a thing of beauty and it’s specs just backs it up:

• Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz
• 512MB ROM
• 288MB of RAM
• 3.8” screen
• 480×800 resolution
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• USB 2.0 client
• Bluetooth 2.0  + EDR
• WiFi B/G
• FM Radio
• GPS/aGPS
• 5MP Rear Camera, 0.3MP Front Camera

That’s some really high-end specs for a device. Plus, it comes bundled with an 8GB SDHC card as well (thank you HTC)! It’s quad-band GSM with only dual-band 3G which was made for Europe. Since HTC has it clear as day that the Touch HD will never come with US 3G bands, you’ll have to give up high-speed mobile internet (and a DPAD) if you decide to ride with the Touch HD.

Hardware Design

If I hadn’t said it by now, I’ll say it again: THIS DEVICE IS A BEAUTY!

About the same size as an iPhone 3G (almost the same if you don’t nitpick), the Touch HD packs more buttons, a larger screen and even higher DPI thanks to its WVGA (800×480) resolution. This translates into a really gorgeous screen (which I will spend another whole part talking about) but you do not have to turn it to appreciate it. Here are some shots of the Touch HD for you to enjoy:

All pictures open to their higher resolution counterparts

Are you salivating already?

Initial Impressions

When I got the Touch HD, I never thought I could feel so excited about the phone but I sure did. Being on T-Mobile USA, 3G was clearly not supported on the Touch HD, so coming from the G1, I would have to sacrifice high-speed mobile internet for a much more powerful and better device (in my opinion). Not an easy task because I had grown pretty attached to it.

The other thing I thought would be a drawback to the device was the lack of buttons. Sure it’s got a lot more than the iPhone, but this is Windows Mobile we’re talking about and the more buttons, the better (for binding to shortcuts). So the lack of a DPAD and keyboard (which I had wanted in my next device) was another downer that I had to deal with initially.

Apart from that, the soft reset button and microSD slot were under the battery cover. I’m not a big fan of that. You see, I like to install a lot of applications and do a lot of tweaks to my phone so quick and easy access to the soft reset button AND microSD card is something I wanted. The idea of having to open up the back cover every time I needed to do a soft reset or remove the card was just troublesome.

But those were short-lived when looking at the bigger picture. Transitioning from a 2.8” QVGA device to a 3.8” WVGA might not seem like much on paper but it’s a world of difference to me. The device was a joy to hold as it had a sturdy built-quality to it. It was rather wide for me, due to how I was used to holding a smaller device but after getting used to it, you would think it was just nicely sized.

I would love to tell you more about the device but that’s what the other parts of the reviews are for. Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect:

Part II: Multimedia
Part III: Navigation
Part IV: Internet
Part V: Performance
Part VI: Benchmarks
Part VII: Conclusion

So do check back often to see how the Touch HD fares in this review. Or subscribe to our RSS feed to be automatically notified of new articles. It’s definitely my longest review ever but then again, this has got to be the most exciting device I have laid my hands on since the HTC Universal.

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The HTC Touch HD Review – Part I

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This time around, it rendered the Video Call button unusable as seen from the screenshot on your right. Clicking this would actually bring up the Call History page instead.

I didn’t realize this when I first installed the hot fix because here in the US, we don’t use video calling so it had no effect on me.

For users who tried uninstalling the the hot fix to solve the issue, they would have realized that it didn’t. Fret not, because a hard reset is not the solution in this case.

Over at XDA-Developers, camro has created a CAB file that you can use to get your device back to the state before you installed the hot fix. Just download the file, uninstall the original hot fix and install the new file.

Did that work for you?

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The Fix To Fix The Fix

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The first improves on the on-screen slider for answering calls. For me, using the on-screen slider was not an option, no matter how nice it looks. I had to rely on the hard buttons to do that.

Download the fix for this here.

The second fix resolves a display flicker issue when you are using TouchFLO 3D.

Download the fix for this here.

Yes they are hosted on the German HTC site. Going to other versions (such as Europe or US) of the site would not yield those links so use the links given above. Just scroll to the bottom of the page, choose the fix you want for 1. and where you want to download it from in 2. and press the button to get the file.

To install the fix, just copy it to your Touch HD and run the .exe file from it using a File Explorer. After the fix is installed, you will need to restart your device and voila!

Like the previous HTC fix for the Touch HD that solves the multi-tap issue, this one can also be removed if you find it has side-effects.

I am using a WWE ROM and the fix seems to work for me so I don’t think it’s localization dependent but please back up your device before trying it out.

Do the fixes work? Well I encountered the issue with the on-screen slider and I must say that it definitely improves on it a lot. You can now use the slider to answer or reject calls.

As for the second fix, well I don’t encounter it so I can’t comment on it but if you do and have tried the fix, let us know in the comments below.

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2 New Hot Fixes For The Touch HD

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I learnt this the hard way yesterday when I decided to take the Touch HD out for a navigational spin. Having TomTom all set up and running, I wanted to see if the lag issue (which will be discussed in another article) was as bas as some claim it was. What I found out instead was totally unexpected.

Firstly, the Touch HD took quite a while to find a lock on the satellites. Granted it was from a cold start but even with the GPS data downloaded? Maybe it was due to the weather. The clouds were dark and overcast. That could have been a factor.

Apparently that was not the only issue. Once fixed, the Touch HD would lose it’s signal for about 2-3 seconds before locking on again for about 1-2 seconds and then losing it again. This cycle kept going on and on and on, whether the car was stationary or moving.

So I setup TomTom on the X500 which I had with me and surprise, surprise, it locked on to the satellites and stayed locked on. The Touch HD still was having mood swings.

Sure they have different chips: the Glofiish X500 sporting a SiRF STAR III chipset while Touch HD packed Qualcomm’s. But that was not the cause of it.

The main reason for the flaky behavior of the Touch HD GPS was that I had enabled aGPS on it (which was off by default and for good measure if I might add). When aGPS is turned on, it relies on data from your carrier to fix your position. So if your carrier did not have those data, as in my case with T-Mobile USA, aGPS is just a glorified feature on your device.

To confirm this, I turned off aGPS and voila, no more flaky fix. It locked on and stayed locked on for the rest of the journey.

So folks, do check if your carrier supports aGPS before turning it on. It’ll save you a whole lot of trouble.

To find out more about GPS vs. aGPS, head on over to this WMExperts’ article.

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aGPS: Only Great When Supported

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The solution to prevent this is the same often touted for computer data security – encryption. Encrypting files ensures that if an unauthorized individual comes in contact with the data, they will be unable to open the file and scan it’s content.

Data encryption on Windows Mobile is a newly developing field – with the release of higher-capacity and better equipped smartphones, more users are looking for ways to protect their data. One of the most sophisticated and popular methods of doing so is via PocketLock, which encrypts files and folders with ARC4 128-bit encryption, and then protects it with a password. The file can be decrypted with the PocketLock software, or easily unlocked by entering the correct password.

What You’ll Need

PocketLock requires 86KB of space and will work on any smartphone running Windows Mobile. Installing the App

- Download the application from the Applian Mobile website – it is shareware, and will work for 15 days before it requires a license purchase of $15.

- Start either Active Sync or Mobile Center and plug the smartphone into a PC loaded with either Windows XP or Vista.

- Run the PocketLock installation file to install the app.

- Disconnect your smartphone from the PC and restart your smartphone.

Encrypting a File

- Launch the newly installed app.

- Tap the ‘encrypt file’ button on the main screen. Scroll through the file system and choose the file to encrypt.

- Enter a password or PIN number up to 16 characters in length. For added safety, avoid familiar names and numbers, and use a combination of both letters and numbers.

- Select ENTER, then select OK on the confirmation message that appears. The file has been encrypted with the default 128-bit encryption key and password protected.

Decrypting a File

- To decrypt an encrypted file, launch the app and tap the ‘decrypt file’ button. Scroll through the file system and choose the encrypted file.

- Enter the password you created.

- An alternative method is to select the file directly from the File Explorer window and enter the password when prompted.

So in these times when security is vital, especially security of your personal data, it is very important to ensure that you are protected.  PocketLock offers the protection of your personal data by encryption.  It is easy to download, install and use.

This guest post was written by Blair Mathis from Laptoplogic.com. Head over to them to check out best laptops and read about cool laptop accessories.

If you would like to Guest Post for My Today Screen, do send us an email.

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Protecting Data with Encryption

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And you’ll be the one to benefit from it. For 5 days only, our affiliate store, MobiHand, has some great titles at unbelievable prices. Titles like Pocket Informant and Resco Explorer 2008 should already be on your device but if they aren’t, now’s the best time for you to get them at 50% off the regular price. They’ll cost just $14.98 each! Just head over to the links below to make your selection:

But hurry! Offer is good till December 23rd 2008 only. There are no coupon codes or special instructions to enjoy these prices; just follow the links above, choose your software and checkout. MobiHand just makes it so easy don’t they?

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There’s a MobileHeist Going On

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The Fuze is one of the flagship devices for AT&T and really the entire Windows Mobile Professional brand right now.  It has all of the bells and whistles just like the AT&T Tilt did when it was released.  To some, it is the next step in the evolution of a HTC Windows Mobile device.  To others, it is a step backwards because it loses some functionality that the Tilt had…

I love the screen…VGA is perfect for this screen size.  I love Windows Mobile 6.1 once stripped of TouchFLO 3D.  I love the little tweaks like the HTC volume slider and notification area that allows you to touch options that needed a stylus before.  I love the flush screen.  I love the PTT button because it gives me quick access to a button to launch 2 different applications once tweaked properly.  I love the level of customization that is available and the software that helps you customize for free.  I love the accelerometer and being able to rotate the screen in every possible direction.  I love the fact that the Fuze supports all of the latest wireless options as well as tethering to a computer for Internet on the go.

I hate the fact that the entire phone is the biggest fingerprint magnet I have ever seen.  It is almost like HTC went to great lengths to make the Fuze keep fingerprints visible in all situations.  I hate the direction pad…seriously…whoever thought this was a good design needs to be put in the corner with their head down for a long time.  I hate the fact that there is a Home button that really serves no purpose…if I want to go to the Today Screen, I will hit the End key.  I hate the fact that HTC can put standard headphone jack on the Palm Treo Pro and Xperia X1, but cannot put it on their own branded hardware.

Most of all…I hate the fact that my HTC Fuze has what is by far the worst reception of any mobile device I have ever used…and I have used a lot of them.  I have been through 2 Fuzes, multiple radios, and read lots of forums only to come to the conclusion that HTC really dropped the ball on the Fuze radio.

But…I love the fact that even though AT&T or HTC dropped the ball, the Windows Mobile community, mainly XDA Devs, is able to provide users with options to add a radio from another device that will make the bad reception manageable even if it is not perfect.  I love the fact that you can download ROMs that remove all of the crap that AT&T decided to stick in the Fuze that most people will never ever use.  I love the fact that every time I start shopping for a replacement for my Fuze, someone at XDA Devs has solved or is close to solving the issue that makes me want to smash my Fuze into a million pieces.

I hate my Fuze and I love my Fuze.  I have been reminded that when the Tilt came out, it was far from perfect, but the community made it into so much more than HTC or AT&T were capable of doing.  I will be keeping my Fuze and tweaking it so that one day maybe it will be the device I know it is capable of.

Microsoft, AT&T (and all carriers), and HTC really should spend some quality time reading through the posts over at community sites like XDA Devs if they want to know how to make the Windows Mobile ecosystem better.  Thank you to everyone that contributes to making Windows Mobile a better community.  Your hard work is appreciated.

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I Hate My Fuze, I Love My Fuze

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