Cingular Blackjack

I Do Not Answer My Email

2007-11-16T11:19:00.000-06:00

First, thank you everyone for your support and emails.

I have not posted to this blog in a long time and I am still amazed at the amount of traffic and the volume of mail I receive.

I started the blog as simply a location for me to store how to's and stuff so I wouldn't forget them. It turns out that many readers found it interesting as well.

I stopped posting to the blog when I got busy on other projects, and because I really did not have the time to keep up. I decided to leave the blog up so it could continue to be a reference site for others.

As I said at the top of this post, thanks to everyone, I really do appreciate it - BUT - I am unable to respond to your emails and questions. I do not have the time to properly respond to all of them, so rather than cheating someone out of a proper (thought out) response I don't reply to anyone. This is sort of selfish, but it is not like this is my job and I am getting paid.

WM6 For Your BlackJack

2007-08-31T19:44:00.000-06:00

I'm still not really updating this blog, but I thought I might post one item that I read/heard.

Rumor is that the release date for Windows Mobile 6 (the Operating System) for the BlackJack will be available Sept 17. Not sure how AT&T will be distributing it. Probably best if you look around on many of the Phone Blogs or Newsgroups for this detail.

Here is a link to WM6 at Microsoft.

I'm going back into hibernation :)

I am no longer updating this blog

2007-04-04T11:55:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who has emailed me and participated by posting things during the time I maintained this blog.

As you have probably noticed, I have not been updating this site is quite some time. I started it mostly as a place to document what I have learned about my new toy; my Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack from Cingular (ATT). Quickly it became a place that many visited and sent me lots of emails which was sort of cool. Over time it became too difficult to read other blogs/newsgroups, investigate and try out things, and keep this site going. I get paid pretty good money to do what I do professionally, so when my schedule gets overloaded, it is the "free" things I do that get dropped first.

I had fun doing it, and maybe I'll do it again. Thanks to all that have visited and read my ramblings.

Another Java Issue - For Developers

2007-03-09T13:07:00.000-06:00

This posting will probably only interest programmers and developers.

Here is another reason why there needs to be an upgrade to the software on the BlackJack. This is a Cingular/ATT and JBland (the Java Virtual Machine) issue.

I have reported earlier about the odd security that has been set up with the default Java virtual machine - this one is not about that. This issue has to do with the implementation of the Font.stringWidth(String str) function.

I have not seen it reported anywhere else, but I am sure that this is not only happening on my machine.

Here is what is happening: a call to f.stringWidth(str) is returning the width of the string using the default system font (STYLE_PLAIN, SIZE_MEDIUM, FACE_SYSTEM) no matter what the actual font 'f' is. Here is a code example :
Font fDefault = g.getFont();
Font fLarge = Font.getFont(Font.FACE_SYSTEM,Font.STYLE_PLAIN,Font.SIZE_LARGE);
Font fSmall = Font.getFont(Font.FACE_SYSTEM,Font.STYLE_PLAIN,Font.SIZE_SMALL);
Font fBold = Font.getFont(Font.FACE_SYSTEM,Font.STYLE_BOLD,Font.SIZE_MEDIUM);

Now no matter what font you use to call stringWidth(), it will always return the same value. Here is some sample code:
g.drawString(fLarge.stringWidth(s),8 ,20,g.TOP | g.LEFT);
g.drawString(fSmall.stringWidth(s),8 ,32,g.TOP | g.LEFT);
g.drawString(fBold.stringWidth(s),8 ,44,g.TOP | g.LEFT);
g.drawString(fDefault.stringWidth(s),8 ,56,g.TOP | g.LEFT);

Now this issue only occurs in the default Java virtual machine included with the BlackJack (I believe it is JBland). It does not occur in the Sun Wireless Toolkit emulators, nor IBM's J9 virtual machine - both of those report different values when using different fonts.

I have verified that it has nothing to do with the currently set font (g.setFont(new_font)) or anything like that.

Has anyone else noticed this behavior? If so, what was your work a round? For me, I use the J9 VM normally so it is not that big of an issue, but it would be nice if my stuff ran on the default VM as well.

A Leather Case

2007-02-27T08:28:00.000-06:00

I have more people reading my blog than ever before, and wouldn't you know it, I have been too busy to update it since last week. I am expecting for my schedule to clear up in the next couple of days, so I should be back to my regular 4-5 posting a week soon.

I do have one item I would like to pass along. Just Another Mobile Monday has found a leather case for the BlackJack. The case is made by Vaja and apparently there are over 1000 combinations of it that you can order.

I thought it was kind of cool looking, and thought you might think so too. Here is the link again: Leather Case.

Finally, A Basic Calculator

2007-02-21T10:59:00.000-06:00

As I have mentioned previously, I want a calculator that looks real. I do not like the one that came with my blackJack for no other reason that it does not look good. A very petty thing, but my opinion none the less.

The supplied calculator has basic functionality and works fine but I like my calculators to show more than the display screen - I like to see the buttons.

Well, Lawrence Patricio has produced a very basic calculator that I like. As he says in his blog:

When I bought my ASUS P525 PPC Phone, i was looking around for a calculator application wherein I can take advantage of it's built-in keypad; a calculator application wherein I could use with only just one hand. I found one, but doesn't really quite right for my needs. So, I decided to write my own calculator application, a simple one, but is good for one-hand use. And, it also works great on a Smartphones! :)

I have downloaded the CAB file and it runs just fine on my BlackJack.

He seems to have exceeded his transfer limit on his main hosting site, but he does have an alternate location to get the CAB file which I used. To download this application for your self simply go here.

I have not tried to create my own skins yet, but gCalc allows you to easily add your own. He does have a couple of example skins on his blog if you are interested.

Free Extended Battery (and Cover)

2007-02-20T13:03:00.000-06:00

You have probably observed, or read about some people having an issue with the battery life (or lack of) on their BlackJack. If you purchase one now, I understand, it comes with a regular and an extended battery. When I purchased mine, I got two standard ones.

If you are like me and got the two standard ones, you can now get an extended one sent to you for FREE.

Simply point your browser at www.web-rebates.com/cingular/blackjack and enter your IMEI and wireless phone number, along with your address. Your IMEI can be found at the back of your phone behind the battery (you will have to take the battery out to see it).

I became of this offer from graphiteRT who also mentions:

IMEIs between 352794010030189 - 352794012269959 are eligible for this offer
Young America will process & fulfill (the folks that do the BestBuy, Circuit City, etc. rebates)
Fulfillment process may take 2 to 4 weeks

New Version of ActiveSync

2007-02-15T08:56:00.001-06:00

It looks like on Tuesday Microsoft released a new of ActiveSync. ActiveSync is the tool you use to sync your BlackJack with your PC/Outlook, install new applications, or explore your BlackJack from your desktop.

The version that came with my BlackJack was 4.2 but I have been running 4.5 Beta 2 for a while in hopes that it would fix some issues I was having (plus I like to play around with the newest versions of stuff). Well, version 4.5 is now out and you can pick it up on Microsoft's web site.

On the web site it lists all the features under the section "Additional Functions". There it lists great things like "faster file transfer speeds", but it also lists some functionality they have removed - so read through the items before upgrading in case it breaks something you like.

Please Note
If you are running Vista you will NOT need this upgrade.

Here is the link: Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5

Microsoft's Daylight Savings Time Update

2007-02-13T08:16:00.000-06:00

As you are aware, DST will start earlier and end later starting this year in North America. I have previously written about this in my posting 2007 Daylight Saving Time Issue

Microsoft has put out some updated instructions along with some files to install which will address this issue. You will notice they have provided lots of instructions for the various way to do the install on your BlackJack (I simply downloaded the CAB and ActiveSync'd it over).

I looked in the CAB file and it is simply some registry updates - almost exactly the same as the solution mentioned previously (I only see 1 line difference).

To begin your update, visit the Daylight Saving Time 2007 Update on the Microsoft's site and start reading.

Microsoft's Live Search

2007-02-12T09:43:00.001-06:00

For users that like their mapping applications, this has been a good couple of weeks.

Almost two weeks ago Google released their stand-along Google Maps for Mobile and now Microsoft has moved their Windows Live Search for Mobile out of beta - and changed the name to Live Search.

I have mentioned Live Search a couple of times in my postings (Maps on Your BlackJack and Wiping Everything Away (Hard Reset)) and use it often to find places/things.

The newest version comes in two flavors: one for for the United States and another for the United Kingdom. To pick up a copy for yourself, simply go to here. Alternatively, you can download the CAB file directly to your phone by going here for the US version and here for the UK version.

One of the nicest features is the ability to search for a place and then highlight one of the search results and make a phone call to that location without having to type in the phone number.

Here are all the links again:

Live Search for Mobile download site
CAB file to download and install directly on you phone

Free BlackJack

2007-02-12T08:09:00.001-06:00

This little beauty of a deal was pointed out by Bill over at EdgeBlog.

Over at Amazon.com you can pick yourself up a Samsung i607 BlackJack Smartphone and get a 100% rebate. To take advantage of this great deal you will have to purchase a new service plan (or a renewal) from Cingular and agree to keep the plan for 181 days.

Here is the link to the BlackJack deal at Amazon: BlackJack Deal

I wish I was able to take advantage of this great deal, but I just renewed recently.

Cool Weather Application

2007-02-08T14:33:00.000-06:00

I came across a nice weather application written by the folks at Connected Bits.

The application is called Connected Bits Weather. You can view the current weather info, the forecast for the entire week, and you can drill down on a forecasted day to view additional details. For the BlackJack you should pick up the Smartphone WM5 - Beta 1 CAB file.

To use the application you simply need to select a city out of a list of about 50+, or you can enter any valid US zip code. The application remembers your selection the next time you fire the program up, so only if you want to view the weather in another city will you have to select a city/zip again.

Please Note
This application requires .Net Compact Framework 2.0 which if you do not have can be picked up on the Microsoft web site here.

Here are the links again:

Smartphone WM5 - Beta 1 version of the CAB file.
Connected Bits Weather information page.
Connected Bits company page.

RIM and Samsung Settle Lawsuit Over BlackJack

2007-02-08T12:11:00.000-06:00

I saw this article in a number of locations, so I figured I would pass it on:

"Research In Motion Ltd. has settled a lawsuit with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. over allegations the South Korean electronics giant infringed on RIM's well-known BlackBerry trademark name with its competing BlackJack smartphone." (Computer World)

Also see:

RIM and make nice on naming dispute (Engadget)
RIM, Samsung settle lawsuit over BlackJack (CNet)
RIM Settles Samsung Suit over BlackJack Device (eWeek)
RIM and Samsung settle suit over BlackJack device (Reuters Canada)
Settlement reached in BlackBerry-BlackJack trademark dispute (The Mercury News)

Two New Free Schedule Applications

2007-02-07T07:57:00.000-06:00

On Gerard-Peter Carreon's blog that I visit when I get a chance, he has an entry about two new free applications at Connective Tools.

The first is SleepWell! for WM Smartphones. The application allows you to schedule the phone module to turn off and on automatically. Advantages of this would be the ability of extending the battery life and eliminating the phone from ringing at bad times (ex. over night while you are sleeping).

SleepWell! adds a new functionality of automatic turning Off and On the phone module in accordance to your time plan. Events can be scheduled based on definite time, dates and days of the week. It is very convenient, because the workday schedule and weekend and holiday schedule can differ. The program has an ability to activate and deactivate scheduled events. There is no need to delete and create them again.

The other application is CT Scheduler for Smartphones which allows you to schedule the launching of programs, documents, media, and other files.

Tasks can be scheduled to launch based on definite time, dates and days of the week. It is very convenient, because the workday schedule and weekend and holiday schedule can differ. The program has an ability to activate and deactivate scheduled items. There is no need to delete and create them again.

Below are some examples of CT Scheduler usage:
Sound Alert. Select desired audio-file to run in 'Program / File' field and then set the necessary time parameters. You can also select any specific media-player in 'Program / File' field and desired audio-file in 'Parameters' field.
Switching Profiles. Select '/Windows/autoprof.exe' in the 'Program / File' field. Then enter '-s ProfileName' in the 'Parameters' field. 'ProfileName' must be English name of the desired profile, for example 'Meeting'.
Downloading web-page. Select '/Windows/iexplore.exe' in the 'Program / File' field. Then enter the desired URL in the 'Parameters' field.

I have not tried either of these applications yet, but some of you might be interested and can tell me what you think of them.

Here are the links:

How Fast Do You Surf?

2007-02-06T11:48:00.000-06:00

Your BlackJack is capable of using different networks and technologies to access the Internet. These high-speed networks include Cingular's 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) network and EDGE/GPRS network .

Though I have found it difficult to get exact numbers, I believe the EDGE network is potentially capable of about 170 Kbps but you will probably get more like 70Kbps to 135kbs in your day to day life. As for the 3G network, HSDPA has a maximum data speed of 14.4Mbps but you certainly will not get this. "Current HSDPA deployments now support 1.8 Mbit/s or 3.6 Mbit/s in downlink." (wikipedia quote). Like on the EDGE network, in the real world you will see slightly less speeds: "In the U.S., it provides average download speeds between 400-700 kilobits per second (kbit/s), with bursts to more than one megabit per second (Mbit/s). deployed." (wikipedia quote).

So what speeds are you getting? Want to know? Point your Internet Explorer at http://dslreports/mspeed/ and find out.

I understand that there may be some "hacks" out there to increase your speeds, and if I get some time I may look them up and report back.

Setting Up GMail in Your Messaging Client

2007-02-05T07:38:00.000-06:00

If you have a GMail account, you can access your account from your BlackJack through POP (Post Office Protocol) using the "Messaging" client. It is free and available for you to use.

Once you have configured your "Messaging" client to access your account it is easy sailing, but the actual configuring can be a bit of trial and error. On the help section of GMail it list a large number of clients, but does not list the BlackJack specifically. This posting is going to make it very easy.

Figuring that I will want these instructions for future reference the next time I have to do a hard reset (wipe everything out and start over), I figured others might like them as well.

Lets start out on the GMail side first. Log into your account at mail.google.com or gmail.com and click on the "Settings" link in the top right corner. Once in the "Settings" area, click on the "Forwarding and Pop" link. Around the middle of the screen you will see a "POP Download" section:

Click on one of the "Enable POP ..." selections, and then click on"Save Changes".

That's it on the GMail side. Now lets set up the account on your BlackJack.

	From the "Home" screen of your phone, click on "Start", and then the "Messaging" application. When a window comes up, scroll down to "New Account". Click on "Select" to start the process.
	On the "Your e-mail provider" set it to "Other (POP/IMAP)". Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	Enter all your details. "Your Name" will be the name you wish to show up on your emails. "E-mail address" must be your full GMail address. The "Attempt to obtain e-mail setting from the Internet" should NOT be checked. Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	Enter your "User name" which will be your full GMail email address. Enter your "Password" which hopefully is not password or your pets name. Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	The "Server type" needs to be set to "POP3". The "Account name" should be renamed to something more descriptive than what I show in this screen shot (ex. "GMail Account"). Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	The "Incoming Server" should be "pop.gmail.com". The "Require SSL connection" needs to be checked. Enter "smtp.gmail.com" for "Outgoing Server". Finally, check "Outgoing server requires authentication". Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	You are free to set any of the parameters you want on this page. Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	Change the value on the page to anything you want from "Never" (meaning you will go get it when you want it) to Every 15 Minutes. Click on the "Next" button to proceed.
	You did it! Now click on "Finish" to complete the process.

You should now be able to access your GMail account. If you have not scheduled a connection period (ex. Every hour) or you would like to connect immediately and check your email, you can manually connect by clicking on the "Menu" button and then "Send/Receive". This is also how you can send something that is in your outbox immediately without having to wait for the next scheduled connection.

Maps on Your BlackJack

2007-02-01T18:52:00.000-06:00

There are a number of applications that will allow you to display maps on your phone. In this post I am going to talk about two of them: Google Maps for Mobile and Windows Live Search for Mobile.

Both of these free applications allow you to view maps, get directions, and search for local businesses.

Up until recently, Google Maps on the BlackJack was in the form a Java midlet (a java mobile application) and the Java interpreter on the phone did not play nice with it. Many found ways to get around the issues, but it usually involved installing a different interpreter.

Well, there is now a Windows Mobile version of Google Maps and it works great. You can either point your BlackJack Internet Explorer at www.google.com/gmm or you can click here to download the CAB file to your PC and then use ActiveSync to transfer it to your phone.

The other application is from Microsoft. Windows Live Search for Mobile. I have been running this application for a while now and I like it as well. To get Windows live either point your BlackJack Internet Explorer at wls.live.com/download/wm/LiveSearch.cab or click on it from your desktop and transfer it to your phone through ActiveSync.

With both of these mapping applications, you can ask them to find all the businesses of a particular type or all the locations of a specific store. For example if you are walking downtown and want to find all the pizza joints - these mapping programs will display a map and show you where you can pick up a hot slice of pizza. Same goes for finding the nearest Wal-Marts when you are driving on the highway.

Here are the links again:

The main Google Maps for Mobile site
The Google Maps CAB file
Microsoft's Windows Live Search for Mobile

Short Cuts, Speed Dial, and Quick Launch

2007-02-01T06:10:00.000-06:00

This posting is about being more efficient; specifically, to be more efficient on your phone by allowing often used applications and phone numbers to be easily accessed.

To accomplish this, there are three built-in applications/functions that are available to you on your BlackJack. They are:

Short Cuts - these are key combinations that usually launch something.
Speed Dial - a built-in application that you can use to assign a short cut number to a phone numbers, e-mail addresses, web pages, or application.
Quick Launch - a built-in application that you can use to quickly launch applications, go to web pages, open folders, or view a file.

Lets start with what I call Short Cuts. These key combinations are listed in the Getting Started Guide (here is an interactive version of the document). As the document mentions, these functions are only available on the "Home" screen. To use them, simply hold down the Fn key and the corresponding letter at the same time (Note that the letter is not case sensitive meaning B and b are the same):

Turn Bluetooth On/Off FN + B
Launch Cingular Mall FN + C
Launch Cingular Music FN + M
Launch MEdia Net FN + W
Launch Cingular Video FN + V

The second efficiency application I am going to mention is the Speed Dial. Now maybe I missed it, but I do not believe the BlackJack User Guide fully explains how to use this application.

You may already use the Speed Dial application and you don't even know it. If you access your voicemail box by pressing and holding down the 1 key, you are using speed dial. By default the first speed dial location (1) is assigned to your voicemail box. This application has 99 locations to store phone numbers, email address, and URLs from you Contacts. In addition, you can use any of these 99 locations to quickly launch applications.

To assign a speed dial number a phone number, email address, or URL:

Open up your Contacts
Select the entry that the phone number, email address, or URL is in.
Go to the phone number, email address, or URL, and instead of clicking on "Call" click on the "Menu" button.
Select "Add to Speed Dial"
Finally, select a Keypad Assignment (any available number 2-99) when the window comes up.

To assign an Application to a speed dial number:

Navigate to the Application from the Start menu.
Rather than clicking on "OK", click on the "Menu" button.
Select "1 Add Speed Dial".
Finally, select a Keypad Assignment (any available number 2-99) when the window comes up.

If you would like to manage your speed dial entries, the applications can be found under "Start\Applications\Speed Dial".

Now for the part the User Guide leaves out (or at least I did not see it). To use the stored speed dial numbers, you need to enter the number and hold the last digit. For example, if the speed dial number to call your Mom is 2, then press and hold the number 2. If the speed dial number to email something to yourself is 14, you will enter 1 and then press and hold the 4.

Please Note
You can only access and use the speed dial numbers from the home screen.

Finally the last efficiency application I am going to write about today is the Quick Launch. I actually wrote about it earlier in January but feel that it belongs in todays subject. The Quick Launch is an included application on your BlackJack. Unlike other applications on your phone, you will not find it under the Start menu. Instead, you can access it by pressing and holding the thumb wheel on the right hand side of your phone for a second or two.

Using this application you are able to quickly launch applications and open web pages, folders, and files.

Since I already wrote about it previously, I will let you go read it and get the details on how to use it: Quick Launch

Reorganize Your Start Menu

2007-01-30T21:11:00.000-06:00

In a previous post, I discussed how you could move some of the default programs from the root "Start" menu to a new directory if you were unable to delete them.

To recap my problem: I wanted to clean up the "Start" menu and get rid of the junk that Cingular had placed on it. For example, I saw no reason to keep the Cingular Video and MEdia Net since they were simply links to online content. These links could simply be added to my favorites in my IE (Internet Explorer).

Using the the solution I mentioned in my post (Re)move Default Programs, I described how to move these items to a new directory. This definitely cleaned up my "Start" menu, but it meant those files were still on my BlackJack using precious resources (disk space). I never did try to go back and delete these files using AbstractStart, so moving the files was as far as I went in resolving my problem.

Today I decided to try Total Commander for Windows Smartphone. The application is a file manager that allows you to do lots of things including changing file properties (example: change read only or system file attributes on and off) and moving and deleting files. You can pick-up the latest version for your BlackJack here (It's a CAB, so copy it to your phone and then using using your File Explorer found in \Start\Applications\ simply open it to install).

This appears to be exactly what I was looking for. As an initial test I was able to delete both the Cingular Video and MEdia Net in my "Start" menu. They are gone and I did not have to move them first or anything like that.

Now, since those two items are really just links to web sites, I have added them to my IE Favorites.

Cingular Video - http://cingularvideo.cingular.com?source=bm
MEdia Net - http://home

Side Note
Even with the power of Total Commander I have been unable to delete some files in the Windows directory. For example, I have been unable to delete IM.exe (A link to get the OZ Instant Messaging client) which I do not plan on using because it uses SMS. It currently has the attributes of "read only" and "System", and I can't seem to remove those attributes and add the "Archive" attribute. My assumption is once I can accomplish that, I will be able to delete the file.

Here are the links again:

My previous post (Re)move Default Programs
Total Commander web site
Total Commander for Smartphones (this is the Public Beta 2.5 which has better support for Windows Mobile 5)

Get Free Home Estimates On Your Phone

2007-01-29T08:21:00.000-06:00

Well, another weekend is over. If you are like many, you were possibly driving around and saw a house and wondered what it was worth. Maybe you were in a new neighborhood and wondered how much it would set you back to buy that dream home.

Of course you could wait until you got home to look up the answer at Zillow on your computer. Many are familiar with Zillow and your ability to use it to obtain an "estimated value" of a house, for free!

You may not know that you don't have to wait until you are in front of a computer to get an estimate and basic home facts from Zillow. You can use your BlackJack (or any mobile phone or handheld device that can send and receive emails or text messages) to get the home estimate instantly and while your out cruising in your car.

Simply send an email (or a text message) to z@labs.zillow.com from your BlackJack along with the address of the house. Almost instantly you will get an email back with the home's address, the "Zestimate", number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, square footage, and the year build

Just this morning I sent the following email to them so I could show you an example (I sent it from my desktop rather than my BlackJack, so I sort of cheated in that sense). This address is for the Playboy Mansion:

To: z@labs.zillow.com
Body: 10236 Charing Cross Rd Los Angeles Ca

And I got back the following:

10236 Charing Cross Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Zestimate: $5.65M
7 BR / 8.0 BA / 14,217 Sq Ft
Built --
More @ Zillow.com

If the home had been sold recently, it will also list the sale price.

You can read more about this service at the Zillow labs.

Now when you are out house hunting and you come across an "Open House" you can send a quick email to Zillow before going in the front door - free information that will give you some extra facts that others don't have.

An Easy Home Screen Modification

2007-01-26T15:47:00.000-06:00

When I first got my BlackJack, I quickly changed the Cingular Default to the Windows Default home screen. Not too long after than I made a modified version.

One of the very first modifications that I made to my home screen was to shrink the MRU (Most Recently Used) plug-in. I felt the MRU list took up too much screen space. When I looked into the attributes for this plug-in I found that you could shrink the size of the icons by half simply by using the icon-size attribute.

To accomplish this, you need to copy the "full.home.xml" file from the "\Application Data\Home\" directory on your BlackJack (see my previous posting on how to access files if you need help doing this) to your desktop.

Next, using your favorite test editor, open the file and find the section:

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="52">
<mru y="3"/>
</plugin>

Now all you need to do is add the attribute icon-size="16" and modify the height as listed below:

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="36"<
<mru y="3" icon-size="16"/>
</plugin>

Finally, so you still have access to the original Windows Default screen, and your new modified screen, you should give your new one a different title and file name.

To change the title, simply go to the top of your XML file. Now between </contacturl> and <version> replace all the "titles" with a single line that reads something like <title>My New Screen</title>. Here is an example of what the beginning of your new file will look like:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<home>
<author>My Company</author>
<contacturl>http://www.BlahBlahBlah.com</contacturl>
<title>Skreech's Home</title>
<version>1.0</version>

All that is left to do it save your file with a new name such as "new.home.xml" and copy it back to the homes screen directory on your BlackJack (\Application Data\Home\).

Now when you go into "Start\Settings\3 Display\Home Screen" you can select your newly created modified screen.

That's it! You will now have space on your home screen for additional information before it has to scroll - and it was FREE - no plug-ins to buy.

300k BlackJacks Sold - Data Service Gains

2007-01-26T11:35:00.000-06:00

It is being reported that in the three months that the Samsung BlackJack has been available in the United States, that 300,000 have been sold so far. You can get a little bit more info on this news here.

That to me sounds like a big number for this type of phone (i.e. Smartphone, PDA, etc.) and it can only be good news. I am sure that Cingular is excited about the response that the BlackJack has received.

I also saw another article that owes some of it's good news to this larger number of BlackJack sales: Surging Demand for Data Services Drive Cingular’s Impressive Gains

Many people purchased their BlackJacks from Cingular along with the data plan so they could take advantage of a phone rebate. You can see how the first and second article are definitely related.

Simulate Windows Vista

2007-01-25T12:52:00.000-06:00

There is a new front interface that you can use on your BlackJack called SmartVista Interface.

The base functionality is freeware. What this means is that all the information will be shown on the new front home screen, but the detail screens for Weather, News, SMS Messages, and Missed calls are not available.

Even with the limitations on the freeware, the front screen is nice.

Here are the visual items that are new to someone who is using one of the default BlackJack home screens:

Shows the current weather (you must click the update menu item on the freeware version)
Displays the current phone signal
Display the current battery level (ex. 78%, "Charging", etc.)
A nice analog clock

With the positive, there are some negatives:

You must navigate back to your phone's home screen to view Missed calls (In the registered version there is a built in screen).
I use a modified "Windows Default" home screen layout. On it I am able to scroll down and change the Profile very easily - I am not able to do that using this new interface.
Similar to the Profile item above, I can't scroll down and turn Bluetooth on and off as I can with my normal home screen.

Even with the negatives I have listed above, I think I am going to leave this on my BlackJack for a while and see how it works out.

Here is the link again: SmartVista Interface

Update (Jan 26, 2007): There are some people reporting that this app does not work on their BlackJack. I didn't have any problems and the author is saying that those people who have the latest ROM are ok (ROM: 5.1.342 Build 15100.3.0.2). Those with other versions are having a problem. Here is what the author is saying on his web site:

Some good news for Smartphone Blackjack users:
customer who bought this device from Cingular store,
reported me that the latest version works fine in Blackjack,
ROM: 5.1.342 Build 15100.3.0.2
And I got similar reports from others. I'm still working to fix problems in other hardware versions.

Free Golf Game on the Microsoft site

2007-01-24T09:43:00.000-06:00

At the Windows Mobile site you can pick yourself up a new free game: Free 3D Golf Game

I've played 3 holes so far and I will not be quiting my day job. I think the graphics are really good. The during limited amount of time I have spent with it so far, I found it to be fun. I installed the game and then went right to playing it without reading the instructions - so it is quite easy to use (had to play around a bit to hit the ball but that only took less than a minute to figure out).

Here's what it says on the web:

Hit the links with Nine Hole Golf, a challenging 3D game, perfect for playing wherever you are. Choose from six animated characters and three luxurious courses, each with a distinct climate and landscape. Plus, compete with your friends by adding up to four players to one game.

For BlackJack owners you will want to use the link Download for landscape screen smartphone.

While you are at the Microsoft Windows Mobile website, pickup some free rightones and get the 1-Calc Lite calculator (that I could not get to work on my BlackJack - see my post here).

Here are the links:

Microsoft Windows Mobile site
Free 3D Golf Game (BlackJack owners need the landscape one)
Additional free stuff from Microsoft

Caps Lock: A Real Duh on My Part

2007-01-22T10:17:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you just have to give yourself a big DUH! In my case it is not realizing how to get Caps Lock. It was not a big deal, but if I wanted to type something like "IBM" I had been typing <shift>I<shift>B<shift>M.

Turns out I simply had to type <fn><caps>IBM<fn><caps>.

Now that I have figured it out it seems pretty obvious.

I Want a Real Looking Calculator

2007-01-20T22:57:00.000-06:00

I am really not one to complain, but in this posting I am going to do just that.

I do not like the calculator application that comes with the BlackJack. When I look at the"About" screen is says MITs Calculator Version 1.1. This tells me that it is a Samsung supplied application - I guess there is no Microsoft calculator that is part of Windows Mobile 5.

Let me tell you why I don't like the supplied calculator. You will think it is petty, but I say "so what, that is just how I feel". I don't like the calculator because it does not look like a calculator. It works fine (even though it does not handle more than some back function: +,-,/,*,%,SqrRoot, and Power) but it looks like a calculator display screen only - I want to see the buttons.

I want a free calculator that looks like the one that comes with regular Windows. Omega One has a calculator called 1-Calc, and I like the look of it - it looks like what I think a software calculator should look like. In fact, Microsoft is even distributing a FREE 1-Calc Lite version here on their website. The problem with this lite version is that it does not work on my BlackJack (I did not check the demo of the full version). When I installed it, it took a looooong time to load - the on screen keyboard took forever to stop scrolling across my screen. When the keyboard stopped scrolling, I could not use any keys; I was unable to calculate anything. I have done some searching on the web, and other BlackJack users are reporting this issue as well.

Anyway, I want a free calculator that looks like a calculator and that will run on my BlackJack. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.

That should be about it for my complaining - it's late Saturday night and no one is probably reading a "techie" blog anyway. Happier, and more useful, posting will follow (not tonight though).

2007 Daylight Saving Time Issue

2007-01-19T14:32:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I noticed that someone had posted a Window's Mobile fix for the 2007 Daylight Saving Time change that will occur earlier than usual this year in the US and Canada. I thought about posting the information at first, but then though "Why do I care, Cingular auto-updates my date/time on my phone anyway". Well, I haven't yet determined if I should care or not, but just in case, here are the details.

As part of the Energy Policy Act, Daylight Saving Time will start 3 weeks earlier and end 1 week later than usual. This means that on March 11, 2007, Daylight Saving Time will begin, instead of the regular first Sunday in April.

How does this affect you, the BlackJack smartphone owner? Well, Windows Mobile 5 (the OS) does not know about this change. Microsoft has issued a fix but they are leaving it up to the cell phone companies to distribute it. I'm not sure if any carriers have, but there is a good chance they will not. Possibly companies like Cingular are relying on the fact that they auto-update date/time on phones through their towers. Will this work? I haven't researched it enough to answer that yet.

As I type this posting, I am thinking about the problem and have come to the conclusion that this patch will probably be needed. I do not know for a fact, but I would assume that the dates and times in the calendar (and tasks) are stored in UTC. If this is the case then the patch would be needed.

So, I don't know if you are really going to need to use Microsoft's suggested fix or not. If you do, there is someone who has already put a CAB together (using Microsoft's instructions) that you simply need to copy to your BlackJack and install.

I should note that I looked in the registry of my BlackJack and cannot find the registry entry that the Microsoft fix writes to (HKLM,SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Timezones). Now this really does not matter, as the entry will simply be created in the registry; but that does bring up a question: If the entry is not already there, and this fix is not just simply updating it, then is the OS even looking for time zone info in that location?

Here are the links again:

Microsoft: Preparing for daylight saving time changes in 2007
Microsoft: How to configure daylight saving time for the United States and Canada in 2007 and in subsequent years on Windows Mobile-based devices
EdgeBog Packaged Cab: Daylight Saving Time - Window Mobile Fix

Free Application - Export Contacts

2007-01-18T20:56:00.000-06:00

I have come across a free application written by WM Soft which allows you tol export your contacts on your BlackJack to either an HTML or XML file. English does not seem to be their first language, but here is what they say on their website about this application:

Everything can happen, so it’s better to have several backups of your contacts, not only in PC outlook. Or may be you’re using Linux and can’t sycnronize your WM5 device with PC.
Export Contacts can export contacts from your Windows Mobile 5 device to HTML or XML file.

I have tried it and it certainly worked as described. I can see this being a nice little application to use once in a while just to make sure that your contacts are backed up.

On their website they say it will export 50 different properties as well as the option to save contact photos and ringtones. In addition to Exporting, it looks like they plan on including Importing in a future release as it is listed in the "modes"; right now when you select Importing it displays a message saying that it is not available yet.

WM Soft seem to be offering this free application with the hopes that you will like it and purchase some of their other software. As I have mentioned before, I think when a company offers a simple free application it is a win-win situation for both the user and the business

Listening to XM Radio on Your BlackJack

2007-01-16T14:29:00.000-06:00

I subscribe to satellite radio and listen to it in my car all the time. In addition to the car, I sometimes take it into the house and plug it into my home stereo while other times I listen to it online. Without a doubt I think satellite radio is the best thing since ... since ... well, it is pretty cool. I rarely listen to regular radio now.

That's all I am going to say about satellite radio and how neat it is. I am not going to mention:

all the music you hear without commercials.
how I thought it was stupid to be paying for radio because radio should be free, UNTIL I actually listened to satellite radio and quickly changed my mind.
all the new artists I have discovered, or all the old ones I have rediscovered.
commercial (terrestrial) radio has forgotten what the radio experience is suppose to be like.

Honestly, I have stepped down from my pulpit and retired my soapbox and will get on with this posting.

As I mentioned, I listen to satellite radio and have a subscription with XM radio. If I had Sirus I know I would probably be just as pleased with it, so I will not be arguing that one service is better than the other - in this posting :)

Since I am an existing subscriber, I figured I could use the XM application included on my BlackJack. I was wrong, as it is treated as a different device and even subscribes to a different plan called XM Radio Mobile. In my opinion it is not a great device as you only have access to a limited number of stations (25 to be exact) compared to a full subscription. If however you don't have satellite radio, then maybe this plan and application are fine as it will definitely be better than what you can listen to on the "free airways". You can read about XM Radio Mobile here.

Anyway, I couldn't use my existing subscription with the include XM application. I said to myself "No problem", as I usually use IE and Windows Media player to Listen Online anyway. XM provides this service to subscribers free (in their words: "no additional costs"). Though not as cool as the included BlackJack application, this would still work I assumed. Well I assumed wrong, again.

No matter what I did, I was unable to listen to my XM channels using the Listen Online link on the XM web site. Probably has to do with some special ActiveX or something like that, which my PIE (Pocket Internet Explorer) was puking on.

Well, there has got to be a way of doing this I figured.

A little snooping around, and lots of Googling and sure enough there was. In fact I found two ways of listening to my XM radio feeds.

I have tried both, and I think I like one better than the other, but I want to continue trying them out to see if my first impressions are correct.

The first one is XstreamXM. Simply point your IE to http://www.xstreamxm.com/mobile, enter your credentials and you are off. One thing to note about XstreamXM is that they also have a desktop client that you might be interested in if you don't like the XM provide Listen Online (XMRO) interface.

The second one is MusicDock. Again, point your IE at http://mobile.musicdock.com/, enter your credentials and you are ready to start tappin' your toes, playing air guitar, punching the air, or whatever else you do when you are listening to some tunes.

Here are the links again (and some new ones) for the information I mentioned above:

Firmware Upgrade

2007-01-14T23:14:00.000-06:00

Today's post is more of a opinion piece than a how-to or an informational one.

I have heard some people asking when/if there will be a firmware update for the BlackJack. First, let me say I have no idea if there will be one or not, but one would assume there will be at some point as it is a new product. If you look around the phone you will find many applications that are version 1.0. I don't know of any successful application that stayed at version 1.0, or at least who did not have some bugs that needed to be fixed from the initial version

There are really three companies involved in the BlackJack, as far as the firmware. There is Samsung, the makers of the actual SmartPhone. Next there is Microsoft, the makers of the base operation system (Windows Mobile 5). Finally, there is Cingular who distributes the phone and has made (or has asked one or both of the other two companies) to implement things like special security, profiles, configurations, etc. If there is a firmware update it would have to be distributed or pushed out by Cingular, as they would have full control - neither Microsoft, and especially Samsung would dare update something and not involve Cingular.

Some of the things folks want to see addressed are:

The Java Security issues. Both GMail and Google Maps are unable to run without user interactions because of what I believe to be a security policy that Cingular has implemented. If my assumption is correct, it is Cingular that would have to address this issue in an update.
The way BlueTooth is implemented. Personally, I only use a basic Motorola BlueTooth earpiece which I have had zero issues with so I can't really comment on there being any problems for me. Maybe if I get a BlueTooth adapter for my laptop, then I will be able to comment more on this subject. If there is an issue with this, then it would be Samsung that would have to address it.
The phone has to be rebooted occasionally to fix some inconsistencies and odd behavior. I have witnessed this on occasion and have even had to "hard reset" (re-image the phone with the original ROM image) my BlackJack twice to resolve an issue. The reason for the "hard resets" was because my phone was crashing my ActiveSync session anytime I plugged my phone into the laptop. These two occasions happened about a week apart, and in both cases a "hard reset" fixed the issue without me having to do anything to ActiveSync (ex. reinstall it).

I am sure there are lots more things that can and should be addressed if an update is deemed necessary.

Even with these issues I really like my BlackJack. It does everything I want it to do and more. Like others, I always want to make things better and to fix something when it is possible. A perfect reason for a firmware update.

If an update is considered, and in case someone from the powers that be is reading this, I have two things I would like (2 wishes):

I would like a real calculator application that looks like a calculator
I would like a way to change the attributes on files so that I can move or delete them if I want to (this would help resolve the problem of not being able to change the "Start Menu" to the way you want it).

Finally, I am curious to see if I have the same version of software on my BlackJack that others have. Here are my details found under Settings:

About

Windows Mobile 5.0 with the Messaging and Security Feature Pack
OS 5.1.342 (Build 15100.3.0.2)
RIL Version 2.002
ROM update versions:
Operator: 5.1.342.15100
Manufacturer: 5.1.342.15100
Microsoft: 5.1.342.15100
Language: 5.1.342.15100
File System: 5.1.342.15100

Version

PDA version: i607UCFJE
Phone version: i607UCFJE
H/W version: REV0.0
Eboot version: i607UCFJE

Screen Shots

2007-01-12T09:33:00.000-06:00

I came across a piece of FREE software that will allow you to take screenshots on your BlackJack. The application is called Ilium Software Screen Capture. The application is easy to use, does what a capture application should do, and includes a timer option which I found useful.

I have seen other screen capture applications, and have noticed them mentioned in some of the Smartphone Forums, but darn if I could find the links when I was looking for one. So I used Google and found the Ilium one that I find quite useful.

As I mentioned, it is a a free application from Ilium - I think I have heard of them before, but I think it is a smart business move to offer something like this for free. I would assume their hopes are that you will like this application and will in turn buy some of their other applications they have for sale.

Quick Launch

2007-01-11T07:46:00.000-06:00

Maybe I am simply just a little slow at times, but I think it has more to do with me not reading the manual :)

There is a nice little configurable application called "Quick Launch" on your phone. You won't find its link under the Start menu if you look for it. To use this application you have to press and hold the thumbwheel on the right side of the phone for about a second or two.

Up will pop a window on the right-hand side of the screen that you can scroll through. These of course are links to applications. One of the first things I did was go to Edit, and then under Menu I went to Options and changed the view to "List View". The reason I did this was because the icons are not always different. For example, if you have links to 2 different folders, then you will have 2 folder icons which are indistinguishable. By using "List View" you at least see some text.

Quick Launch will definitely save you some time by not having to hunt through your Start menu if you place your favorite links here. I should also mention that the links do not simply have to be to applications but URLs, Folders, and Files are acceptable as well.

Voice Notes

2007-01-10T09:52:00.000-06:00

The BlackJack is a phone and it does have a microphone, so it only makes sense that you should be able to record voice messages.

Deep in the "organizer" folder under your Start menu you will find the application Voice Notes. I am sure you have all seen it, and some of you might have already tried it out. Any notes you make are stored as sound files in your \My Documents\Notes\ directory.

So here is the value added stuff you come to expect in my postings.

You don't have to navigate through the Start menu and then Organizer to get to it. Simply hold down one of the volume buttons (either UP or DOWN) found on the left side of your BlackJack for a second or two - up will pop the Voice Notes application.

You can send Voice Notes from your Email program on the phone (you can also do so from MMS as well). Not only can you send existing voice recordings, but you can also record them while you are composing your email. With the Messaging client up, you can go into either your Outlook or any other email account you have set up. Once into the email client, start a new message. There are now two ways of including a voice recording:

If you would like to record a new note, go to Menu/3 Insert/2 Voice Note and follow the instructions.
If you would like to insert an existing recording, go to Menu/3 Insert/3 File and simply insert the sound file you want to send (Remember Voice Notes are stored in \My Documents\Notes

That's it - Enjoy.

Editing MS Office Files on Your BlackJack

2007-01-09T18:25:00.000-06:00

One of the differences between Windows Mobile on a Pocket PC and a SmartPhone is the ability to edit MS Office files. On the Pocket PC you can edit and view Office document; on the SmartPhone you can only view them.

BlackJack is of course a SmartPhone and such can only view Office documents. To view them, the BlackJack comes with an application called Picsel Viewer. Among the document types it can handle are:

PDF
Word
PowerPoint
Excel
JPEG and PNG images
Plain Text

It's not a bad application, but it would be nice if you could edit files.

Well, today I noticed that you can do just that using Documents to Go® for Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition. You can't buy it right now, but they do have a preview available (a functional demo that is good until sometime in March).

It comes with:

Word to Go - Word Processing (MS Word)
Sheet to Go - Spreadsheet (MS Excel)
Slideshow to Go - Presentation (MS PowerPoint)
PDF to Go - PDF Viewer
Zip to Go - Decompression Utility

I have played with it a bit today and it is great. Back when I had a Palm Tungsten E (Palm OS, HotSync, no Internet) it had Documents to Go on it and I used it a lot. Now that they have it for SmartPhones it is great - the more I can do on my phone the better. Being able to create, edit, and view documents on my BlackJack without having to do it on my PC/laptop is super. It definitely will not eliminate your desktop, but it will be great to start "new" ideas or make last minute edits when you are out and about on a plane/train/taxi/car.

Hopefully when it is finally released it will not be too expensive as I am a little frugal (ok, cheap). I'm sure whatever the price is many sales people, business folks, and such will buy it no matter what the price is, but for me I have to pay for it (my company will not be buying it for me).

Anyway, this looks like a great product and a potential present for someone :)

Here is the link to Documents to Go® for Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition.

Update (Jan 11, 2007): Above I mentioned that the preview ends sometime in March. More specifically, it ends March 15, 2007.

Standardized Headphones - Not!

2007-01-08T19:46:00.000-06:00

The more I play with my BlackJack the more I like it. I have had it now for a few weeks and have gotten very comfortable with it. One of the activities I told myself I would use the phone for was to listen to music on it (I justified the purchase using lots of reasons, but listening to music was one of them).

I knew before purchasing that Samsung equipped the BlackJack with a proprietary connector for headphones, so I was not shocked when I first took it home. The ads I see on TV for the BlackJack show someone using it for this activity, so they are definitely promoting it.

I would guess that they thought they could sell more accessories, or probably Cingular did, if they used a proprietary connection. They of course really push the use of BlueTooth stereo headphone, and to a lesser extent, the wired stereo headphone made just for your BlackJack. Both products, Cingular is more than willing to sell you.

Looking around, I have noticed that the price of stereo BlueTooth headphone is quite high and I can't justify spending that type of money just to listen to music sometimes. So I started looking at "wired" headphones. I am not much of an "eBay'er" but I did notice that there were lots of deals to be had there. Some were selling headphone that would work on the BlackJack, while others were selling adapters that would allow you to use standard 1/8" plug headphones of your choice.

Over at the Cingular online store they have 2 products - actually, only one product but one sells with a data cable while the other does not.

The prices are $29.99 and $39.99 respectively. That seemed pretty expensive to me. So I decided to head over to my local Cingular store and noticed that they had the headphones for only $19.99 (OEM Stereo Earbud Headset w/ Answer/End Button). That price is still high, but I decided to purchase them since I would then have them and could stop looking (plus I would not have to pay shipping charges like I would if I purchased online).

Well even though they were a little expensive, I think it was a good purchase. The sound quality is not that bad, and they do have an incline microphone on them so they double as a handsfree headset. I have read of others having problem of clicking sounds when they plugged in non-OEM headphones (or adapters) - a problem I have not had.

Tethering (Using your BlackJack as a Modem)

2007-01-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

Assuming that you have the appropriate plan to legally tether (Internet Sharing) this posting is for you. Tethering is of course using your BlackJack as a modem for your laptop/pc.

Not only can you surf the web using your BlackJack but you can also use it to provide Internet access to your laptop. This is great when your laptop is not near a Wi-Fi, network drop, or your only way to access the Internet is through a pay "hotspot".

The instructions I am going to give are for connecting your BlackJack to your laptop using the USB data cable. You can also do this using BlueTooth but I haven't tried that yet.

Using ActiveSync to Explore Smartphone (see previous post), go to the \Windows directory. Scroll down until you find a file named "Internet Sharing" (Internet Sharing.lnk). Right click on it and select "Copy". Now go to \Windows\Start Menu and again right clicking and select "Paste Shortcut". This will create a shortcut to IntShrUI.exe and it will be named something like "Internet Sharing(2)". You can leave it like this, but I would rename the file and drop the number (2) from it (you can do this by right clicking on it and selecting "Rename").

You are now ready to use your BlackJack as a modem for your laptop (or PC or desktop, etc.). Make sure that your laptop is connected to your BlackJack using the USB data/sync cable. If you laptop is currently hooked up to a network (wireless, ethernet, dial-up, etc) disable the network card for this test. Once you are sure you are no longer connected to the Internet, go to "Start/Internet Sharing" on your BlackJack (directly on the phone not using ActiveSync) and click on the icon.

The application will start and you will have to click on the left hand soft key named "Connect" (the options should be already filled in for you, but if not, they should be "PC Connection = USB" and "Network Connection = MEdia Net"). That's it, you should now be able to surf on the Internet from your laptop. When you are done, bring up the Internet Sharing application and click on "Disconnect". Don't forget to re-enable your network card if you previously disabled it for this test.

So now when you are out in the world and have no Internet connectivity on your laptop, you now can use your BlackJack to keep you connected. Enjoy!

* Note: On the CD that came with my BlackJack there were Samsung modem drivers. I installed these on my laptop but I don't think I needed them. However, if you are unable tether using my instructions above, try installing the Samsung modem drivers. Let me know if you had to do this so I can note that they are indeed needed.

Wiping Everything Away (Hard Reset)

2007-01-05T21:34:00.001-06:00

For some reason I was unable to sync my BlackJack with my laptop when I got home today from work. ActiveSync kept crashing and I could not figure out what the problem was. I turned my BlackJack on and off, I turned my laptop on and off, I reinstalled ActiveSync (I even tried ActiveSync 2.5 beta) - nothing worked - ActiveSync kept crashing anytime I plugged the phone into the USB cable. So I decided that it must be the phone that was causing the problem and I would have to give it a hard reset (wipes out everything - basically it reloads the ROM to reset the OS back to the way it was when you purchased the phone).

Since I backup most things, and because I knew that the data in my Outlook was pretty much up-to-date, having to reset everything on my phone was not too much of an inconvenience.

Here is the process I went though:

I did a hard reset. The Samsung SGH-i607 manual tells you one way to do it (Press the Up Navigation Key and the Power button) but I couldn't get it to work. I am sure there is something stupid I am missing, but that is ok because there is another way of doing it. On your phone, under Settings, Security, More..., there is the option "Reset". This will wipe out everything on your phone and put the phone back into the state it was when you walked out of the Cingular store with your new BlackJack.
Once the phone comes back up I do a little check and make sure that I can connect to the Internet. Usually I go to MEdia Net and Google to make sure things are fine. If the Internet does not work fix it now by making sure all your parameters are correct under Settings/Connections (you can get all the correct settings from the Cingular web site's support area).
This is probably a good time to sync up your BlackJack with all the data that is in Outlook. Once this is done all your contacts, appointments, and tasks should be back on your BlackJack.
Time to copy all your backed-up applications (freeware, demos, bought apps, games, etc) and configurations back to your phone. Using ActiveSync, go to "Tools/Explore Smartphone" to bring up your "My Documents" directory on your BlackJack. (see my post, Accessing Files on Your BlackJack for additional information).

Copy all you IE Favorites to \Windows\Favorites
Copy any customized Home screens to \Application Data\Home

Next it is time to install all the applications I just copied over. Here are the ones I install:

appunlock - A freeware program that allows you to install uncertified software.
Papyrus - A replacement for the default Calendar and Task applications that come with your BlackJack. Papyrus is the same as Pocket Informant for Smartphone (simply rebranded). Currently this is the only application I have bought for my BlackJack. I ran a demo version of Pocket Informant for a little while when I first got my phone and thought it was great so I bought it (I bought the Papyrus version simply because they published their upgrade policy on their web site).
Vieka WordPad - A free customizable WordPad for Smartphones. There is no real way to edit files on your phone without something like this, so this WordPad is great.
Smoresoft Sudoku - Everyone needs some extra games on their phone. I like Sudoku, and I really like this free game. Unlike other software you install on your BlackJack, this one is nice enough to not put the shortcut in the root Start Menu, but rather in the Games folder.
PHM Registry Editor - A great free registry editor that you will need if you want to make any registry tweaks.
Windows Live Search - From Microsoft (and free), Windows Live Search for mobile application gives you fast access to local search and maps, driving directions, and even local traffic information. Pick the Mobile Phone version not the J2EE.
GMail and Google Maps - Now this is a tricky one. The Java on the BlackJack has some issues. The issues are documented and much has been said about it. One of the solutions is to use IBM's JVM along with some modified GMail and Google Maps JADs. A person who goes by the tag jaust has put together everything you need in one ZIP file including instructions.

I did not mention it above, but when you are installing the above applications you may see some messages such as "The program you are installing may not display properly because it was designed for a previous version of Windows Mobile software.". These messages are fine so simply click OK to continue.

Those are most of the steps I do to recreate my system. What I have not mentioned includes:

Setting the Home screen to the one I copied over.
Loading you OPML file into the RSS Reader (see my post Default RSS Reader for details).
Customizing you Start Menu (see my post Removing Default Programs for details).
Setting all the settings such as ring tones and such.
Deleting all the CAB files in the My Documents directory that I used to install all the applications. This is not a necessary step, but why waste the space when I already have them backed-up on my laptop.

Well, that is pretty much it. It took a little longer this time to recover simply because I documented the process here. Now I have a written copy of the steps, and hopefully others can use them as well (making changes to the instructions to match their specific cases).

(Re)Move Default Programs

2007-01-05T05:45:00.000-06:00

I have seen in various forums the question of how to remove or simply move some of the "system" shortcuts that are in the "Start Menu".

Sometimes you can copy, delete, and move files using ActiveSync and "Explore Device" under tools (see previous post). Sometimes you can use the default File Manager that came with your BlackJack (found under "Start/Applications/File Explorer"). Using the default File Manager you can "Cut" the shortcut, and then "Paste" it in a new location if you want to move it. Finally there are times when you can't do either method without getting an error message such as:

Cannot copy XXXXXX: Access is denied

Make sure your mobile device has sufficient memory, that the file is not set as read-only, and that you have permission to copy this file type.

It appears that there are some files/shortcuts that are system files that have been locked and are unable to be moved/deleted. Examples of these ones on my BlackJack are Cingular Video and MediaNet - both are shortcuts under the Start menu and simple waste valuable screen space as they are no more than html links to web sites - and both are already in you IE Favories (or they could be if you have already deleted these Favorites).

Ah, but don't fret, I have found a solution!!

I don't believe I tried to delete any files, but I did move some of the default programs to new directories. I used a piece of software that appears to be freeware. It is called AbstractStart and it will allow you to reorder your StartMenu. For some people this will be the answer and they will simply leave AbstractStart on their BlackJacks. They will be able to move (I assume delete as well) system files and shortcuts, as well as reorder their Start Menu.

I didn't use it for this but I did use it to "Cut" and "Paste" files into new directories

I really don't like leaving things on my system that may use additional resources unless I have to. So for me, I installed AbstractStart so I could "Cut" and "Paste" the files into new directories that the File Explorer and ActiveSync would not let me do. I then deleted the application off of my BlackJack.

My next step was to reorder my Start Menu. To do this I used a free registry editor called PHM Registry Editor. With this editor I edited HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Shell\StartMenu and under "Order" modified the text (once you navigate there with PHM it should be pretty self explanatory).

NOTE: These are the steps I did on my BlackJack and they worked. I take no responsibility if you break something on your own device, or if I failed to mention a crutial step. All instructions are to point you in the right direction only.

One last point, when I re-set up my BlackJack (when it was new, when I wipe everything by hard resetting, etc.), one of the first applications I put on is a freeware app unlock so you can install uncertified software. You may have to do this to install the software mentioned on this page. For details about an App Unlock (and a link to it) see the following posting at BlackjackSmartZone.

Refresh of the links mentioned:

AbstractStart - Allows you to reorder your start menu.
PHM Registry Editor - A great Windows registry editor for your SmartPhone.
App Unlock - A posting detailing an application unlock plus a link to the application.

Accessing Files on Your BlackJack

2007-01-03T15:27:00.000-06:00

This is one of those reference type posting that I can refer back to from other postings rather than re-explaining a processes.

Included on the CD that came with your new BlackJack is a synchronization program written by Microsoft called ActiveSync. This program allows you to syncronize data between your BlackJack and your desktop. It also allows you to access files on your device, which is what this post is going to cover.

I will assume that everyone has gotten their ActiveSync application up and running. Hopefully any data you are entering in your BlackJack calendar is showing up on your computer, and vise versa.

With that assumption out of the way, you may notice that in the ActiveSync program menu, there is a "Tools/Explore Device" item. If you click on it you will be presented with a window showing you a directory with entries such as (you may or may not have all these):

My Windows Mobile-Based Device
My Pictures
My Videos

This just happens to be your My Documents directory on your BlackJack. If you double-click on the My Windows Mobile-Based Device, as you would on any directory if you wanted to navigate into it, takes you to the root directory of your BlackJack. Here you will find some familiar directories if you are use to using Windows:

Application Data
Documents and Settings
My Documents
Program Files
Temp
Windows

The My Documents directory is the one you where previously in. If you go into the Windows directory it will take a little time before you see anything, but again, many of the directories will be familiar if you have snooped around a Windows based machine before.

In most cases all the files and directories you see can be dragged to your desktop for viewing (and editing!). You are not able to directly edit files on your BlackJack using ActiveSync. This is not a major issue as you can copy files to your desktop, edit them, and then copy them back.

Of particular interest on your BlackJack are:

\Windows\Favorites - This is your IE browser favories. Feel free to organize these, add new ones by dragging links from your desktop, or removing any of them.
\Windows\Start Menu - This is where all the shortcuts to the applications found in your Start menu are found. Again, feel free to organize these into directories. The actual order that the items are shown are stored in the registy, but that is a different post :)
\Application Data\Home - This is where the information for your Home screen are stored. Here you will find all the screens that are listed in "Start/Settings/Display/Home Screen"

To finish up this posting I am going to mention the ability to install applications or new software while accessing your BlackJack. If you have a new application that you just downloaded and it does not have an installer (and EXE file) but does have an archive file (a CAB file) then you can simply drag that CAB file to your BlackJack into the directory of your choice. I usually put it in the My Documents directory but I have heard of others creating a special Install directory in their Start menu. Once the CAB file is on your device simply navigate to it from your BlackJack (not through your ActiveSync session but by actually using your BlackJack and something like "Start/Applications/File Explorer") and clicking on the file. This will cause the application to be installed. Once installed, you can delete the CAB file if you would like to recover some space on your device as it is no longer needed.

Default RSS Reader

2007-01-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

Wikipedia:

RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds or podcasts.

More and more each day I use RSS feeds as a source of the information I get. In most cases it is news sites, but I also subscribe to some opinion and blog sites.

BlackJack has an RSS Reader included which can be found in "Start/Application". If you fire it up you will see that Cingular or Samsung have been nice enough to provide some default feeds. By default, the feeds have been set to an Update Method of passive. This simply means that you will have to click on Update when you want the reader to go out on the Internet and download new articles/postings.

Play around with the settings (ex. Passive or Automatic for the Update Method) and options as there are no real surprises that I see right away.

If your like me you will probably want to customize the feeds that this reader uses. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Using "Menu\Edit\New Feed" - Simply type in the URL of the feed.
Using ""Menu\Feed Search" - You might use this if you are not sure of the URL so you could try and search for your feed. I found that the couple of times I tried, that I got back too many results and their titles were not very helpful in helping me determine which feed I really wanted.
Edit the master feed file or import one - If you already have a list of feeds you already use elsewhere then this might be the option for you. Continue reading for details.

This RSS Reader uses a master file in the OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) format to store the URLs of your feeds. If you open up this file it is pretty self explanatory and you should have no problem figuring out how to edit it.

The file is located on your BlackJack in the directory \Program Files\RSS Reader\OPML File and is titled Default feed.opml. This OPML file appears to be a system file, so you will be unable to write over this file (either by deleting or copying over). Even if you could write to this file, there is no default way to edit this file directly on your BlackJack (side note - there are programs such as text editors that you can install on your device, but not that come with the BlackJack out-of-the-box) but this is not a problem.

Probably the easiest way of adding your own OPML file is to simply use the import function (Menu/OPML/Import). Using your ActiveSync, copy your OPML file to a directory of your choice (ex. My Documents) on your BlackJack and then using the import function, simply point to that file.

If you need some pointers about using ActiveSync to copy your OPML file, see my next posting Accessing Files on Your BlackJack .

Forums

2007-01-02T19:13:00.000-06:00

If you are like me you probably are always looking for places to read up on your new "toys". Maybe it is to find others that are having a similar problem or trying to resolve a particular task. Maybe it is simply to see what other people are doing with their hardware/service.

Well, many of you probably already have the following sites but for those that don't or for those that would like to have them all in one place here is a list. These are the forums and newsgroups that I follow that have to do with the BlackJack, Cingular, and SmartPhones:

If there are useful forums that you visit and think others would also enjoy, please post a comment and share with others.

First Post

2007-01-02T14:46:00.000-06:00

This is the famous first post that every blog has. A place where you talk about how you plan on updating the site every X hours and that this will be the place to be for the most earth shattering news.

Well, I have no idea how often I will update this blog or exactly what I will be posting. It is my intention to place facts, pointers and discoveries of what I have discovered about my BlackJack. Tips, fixes, and hacks are definite topics that I will include.

There is one thing that I do know - why I am creating this site. I love to play and experiment with my "toys". What I don't always do is document the process, so I often forget exactly what I need to do if I break something or have to recover something.

Finally, I'm sure it goes without saying (or why post to a public forum such as this) please feel free to comment.

Turn Bluetooth On/Off	FN + B
Launch Cingular Mall	FN + C
Launch Cingular Music	FN + M
Launch MEdia Net	FN + W
Launch Cingular Video	FN + V