MakeUseOf » Windows mobile

How To Access Free Music On Your Windows Phone

Christian Cawley — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:31:48 +0000

The Windows Phone mobile platform is growing in popularity, thanks in part to Nokia’s success with the Lumia 800 device in Europe and a strong early-days footing provided by HTC, LG and Samsung. While there is a long way to go before the platform can challenge Android and iPhone, things are certainly looking up for Microsoft in this market, helped in no small part by various unique selling points.

One of these is the rarely-trumpeted provision of free music, provided to Windows Phone users either via third party apps or services intended for specific models. Along with countless Internet radio apps on Windows Phone, users have the advantage of using Last.fm for free (Android and iPhone users must pay a subscription for this service) while Nokia Lumia owners can access the Nokia Music service.

Radio Apps For Windows Phone

As you might expect, there are many free Internet radio apps for Windows Phone, each offering free music or talking, depending on your preference. Free apps like TuneIn radio provide access to a huge selection of Internet radio webcasts from around the world, covering all tastes.

You’ll also find single-station or dedicated network apps, designed for you to enjoy a favoured radio station wherever you might be. If radio is your thing, however, you might prefer to use the built-in FM band radio that comes with most Windows Phones.

Last.fm

One of the main reasons to enjoy free music on a Windows Phone is the provision of Last.fm, the popular service which allows users to stream tunes that have been selected based on previously listened to and appreciated (signified via the “Like” button) tracks direct to their phones.

The desktop/browser version has always been free but in 2011 Last.fm announced that the mobile apps for BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices would become paid services. Only Windows Phone (and the version for Xbox 360) would remain free, thanks to a long-standing agreement between Last.fm and Microsoft.

Windows Phone owners can install Last.fm via the Marketplace on their phones, online or through the Zune desktop client. If you don’t already have an account with the service you can create one when the app is launched.

When you sign in, use the music search box to find one of your favourite artists and browse through the various entries in the results; these will detail the number of other users with the same taste and by selecting the relevant entry you can check which artists are similar (and which might as a result be played), read a bio of the artist or commence playing the dedicated channel for that artist.

As you listen to the tracks that are streamed to your phone you can decide whether you Like a song or wish to stop it or skip. This information is then used to select the next track, creating a personalised radio station playing only the music you like and informing you of any local gigs featuring the currently playing artist.

Nokia Music

If you are in a territory where the Nokia Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 handsets are available, the Nokia Music app will allow you to stream random-but-relevant tracks (think Spotify) to your phone and download as many as 50 to listen offline.

Like all of the best things featured on MakeUseOf.com, this is a free service, the only cost being the price of the handset.

Using the app is a simple case of launching from the Apps List, selecting Mix radio, choosing a genre (classical, rock, reggae, soul, etc.) and tapping to play one of the pre-selected mixes (offline play is available via the tap-and-hold gesture). If this isn’t your cup of tea, meanwhile, you can use the Create option to select one or more favourite artists; Nokia Music will use these choices to play recommended tracks. You can also use the Personalise option to play personalised mixes, using data stored on your computer to determine the right choices..

Conclusion

Sadly Last.fm is currently only available in the UK and Europe. Windows Phone owners in the USA have access to the similar MetroRadio which is a Pandora app for the platform. Meanwhile the Nokia Music service is available in the USA but Nokia’s Windows Phone devices (the Lumia 710 and 800) aren’t due to be launched in North America until 2012.

For some readers, you’ll be able to summon free and legal music to your WP7 device in seconds – you might have done so before reaching this conclusion – but for others it might be a while before you can get the quality of service you expect.

Before you get carried away, however, spare a thought for the data usage plan as specified by the contract with your carrier or network. Overuse can lead to high charges!

Image Credit: Microsoft

Share Your Windows Phone Internet Connection Using The Tethering Feature

Christian Cawley — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:31:25 +0000

Windows Phone is becoming an increasing popular platform, but its initial release in 2010 baffled commentators by omitting key functionality such as copy and paste and tethering. Omitting these features arguably punished the platform, resulting in some poor early reviews. Making matters worse was the fact that devices from Samsung and LG had wired tethering functionality that could be enabled via a hidden engineer’s console, resulting in a platform offering tethering on some handsets but not others. Hardly ideal!

Microsoft has since resolved these shortcomings with the latest release of its successor to the clunky old Windows Mobile. Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” is currently shipping on new devices from HTC, Nokia and Samsung and first generation devices can be upgraded to run this version of the software, which includes wireless tethering. This will enable you to share your mobile Internet connection with other devices.

Why the Big Deal?

News of this feature came late in the day (release day in fact!) thanks to Microsoft being cagey about some of the details of the Mango release. Despite being a much-requested function there was never any confirmation (although plenty of denials) that tethering of any kind would be included.

Fortunately for Windows Phone users, wireless tethering is now a possibility. The benefits of this are considerable. For instance, you might own a tablet, netbook or laptop and have no wireless functionality or access to any nearby wireless networks. Thanks to wireless tethering you can easily use your Windows Phone as a Wi-Fi router and connect to the Internet!

There are a couple of things to bear in mind, however. The first is that if your mobile phone contract does not have suitable Internet usage terms you could easily end up being billed for more than you can afford, so before proceeding, check the small print.

The second point to consider is that using wireless tethering can be quite draining on your mobile phone battery, so it is advised for only short-term use unless you are able to keep your Windows Phone charged.

Activating Internet Sharing

Microsoft’s inclusion of wireless tethering was done with so little fanfare that you might be forgiven for not realising that it is included on Windows Phone Mango. To get started using this function, you will need to open the Settings menu. This can be found on the Start screen and is also available by swiping left or tapping the arrow in the top-right corner of the screen.

With the Settings menu open, first scroll down to Mobile network to confirm that both Data connection and 3G connection are activated. You will need the 3G connection active if you are to have any hope of achieving fast mobile Internet! Enable these options by tapping the switches; when active they will be highlighted to match your phone’s current accent (the color of the tiles on your Start screen).

Tap the Back button on your phone to continue. You will now need to find the Internet sharing option in the Settings menu; a single tap of the switch in this screen will enable tethering.

By activating wireless tethering you will also activate your phone’s wireless function, which is one of the reasons why battery life is affected by this feature.

The Internet sharing screen will now display a few instructions, advising you that up to 5 guests can share your phone’s mobile Internet connection. A default broadcast name will be listed along with a password that you can use on any device that will be used to share the connection. The number of connected devices will also be listed.

Connecting To Your Windows Phone Wireless Hub

You don’t have to use the default options, however. By tapping the Setup button you can configure your own broadcast name by tapping into the field and overtyping the existing name; the same can be done with the password (a minimum of 8 characters is required) and you can also switch the Security type between Open and WPA2. Remember to tap the OK button when you’re done.

With the options set as required and Internet sharing activated you will now be able to connect to your phone as if it was a standard wireless hotspot. Any tablet, e-reader, laptop, netbook, even a desktop computer or another mobile phone can take advantage of your Windows Phone Wi-Fi hotspot by simply identifying the device’s broadcast name and entering the password.

Battery & Security Considerations

Despite the excellent flexibility that wireless tethering offers, there are obvious drawbacks. The first is with the battery life; the more users you allow to connect to your Windows Phone the more data will be processed and the greater reliance on both mobile Internet and Wi-Fi. You could end up with your phone’s battery being seriously drained in under an hour!

Although an open (password-free) connection is available as an option, this isn’t recommended unless you’re in a relatively remote area. The last thing you need – especially if you’re billed on mobile Internet data usage – is to be sharing your connection with unauthorized people.

Despite the battery issues, this is a welcome addition to Windows Phone, one that is quick and easy to use and is great for providing a much-needed Internet connection to other devices.

Let us know if you have any questions or problems setting it up.

What Do You Think About Windows Phone 7? [MakeUseOf Poll]

Yaara Lancet — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:31:59 +0000

Last week we wondered what you think about alternative keyboard layouts. While not many of you voted, the majority who did are curious about alternative keyboard layouts, believe they might be better, but feel that the switch would be too hard. This might be so, but some readers still reported they managed to switch, permanently or for a while.

Out of 197 voters, an impressive %10 already use an alternative layout, 7% tried it but went back to Qwerty, 49% are curious, but think the switch is probably too hard to tackle, 18% love Qwerty and don’t want to switch at all, and 17% heard about it in the poll for the first time!

It’s nice to know that our poll could enlighten 33 readers about the existence of alternative layouts. Who knows, they might switch now! Overall, around 17% of the voters have tried alternative layouts, so if you’re curious, the switch may be possible after all.

This week’s poll question is: What Do You Think About Windows Phone 7?

WP7 has been around for almost two years, but only recently has it started gaining popularity. The latest Nokia release might or might not give WP7 the push it’s been needing all this time. But is the OS any good? Is it being underrated by the technology world, or are we all better off sticking to what we already have? Now is the time for you to have your say!

If you already use it, what makes it good or bad? What are the reasons you would consider switching to it? And if you never will, why? Tell us everything in the comments.

Spotify Expands Its Mobile Reach With A New Windows Phone 7 App [News]

Yaara Lancet — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:31:30 +0000

Spotify and Microsoft have announced the release of Spotify for Windows Phone 7. This highly anticipated app brings Spotify’s music streaming services to Mango OS, and is another breakthrough for Microsoft’s mobile enterprise.

According to Spotify, the app is available on a wide variety of WP7 mobiles, which together with their apps for Android and iOS makes them one of the most widespread music apps, at least for mobile platforms. While the WP7 app is definitely a move in that direction, other similar services offer apps for the Blackberry, for example, something which is not yet available for Spotify.

Using the WP7 Spotify app you can:

Browse through Spotify’s music collection and stream tracks.
Create offline playlist to play when you have no connection.
Sync every track you add to your computer automatically.
Browse and play your friends’ music.
And more.

The app is free to download from the Windows Phone Marketplace for free, but like all Spotify mobile services, requires a premium subscription (currently $9.99) to play music. Spotify’s service is also limited to a small number of countries, including the US, the UK and selected other countries in Europe.

Have you tried Spotify for WP7? Tell us what it’s like!

Source: Spotify

10 Apps To Make Your Old Windows Mobile Phone Useful

Ryan Dube — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:31:17 +0000

A few years ago, I covered a list of Windows Mobile apps, like the 4 spy apps or the 6 useful apps for college kids. Karl also hit on a number of cool apps for Windows Mobile, like the full PDF guide, and his list of sites to get the best freeware for WM6. But I’ve now switched to a Motorola Droid. The Cingular 8125 running Windows Mobile 5 has been stored away in my bedside drawer since 2010.

Recently, I’ve been building a home web server that I have running in my office without a keyboard or monitor attached. I connect to it via VNC from my laptop whenever I want to work on it. The other night, I stumbled upon my old Windows Mobile phone and at that moment, my brain started turning. Why do I have this great device stashed away in a drawer, when it could be put to good use? Even though there’s no cellular service, it still has Wi-Fi capability, so it can still serve as a little mobile computer.

Realizing that there are probably a lot of other people out there with devices like this collecting dust, I decided to transform this seemingly useless phone into a highly-useful, productive mobile network device.

Accessing Music & Information

Basically, I wanted to transform this device into a bedside tool that I could use to get instant access to news, music, and of course the time and calendar. I also wanted the device to have constant connectivity to my home network, for troubleshooting and working on the server.

The first order of business was to load up useful Internet-ready content apps. The first choice I went with was OPENweb Radio. This application gives you access to streaming content from local radio stations all around the world. After installing the app and launching it, I found a few stations around here.

When you click to listen to the station, the streaming audio comes up in Windows Media Player. If you want to use the device as a bedside clock, having a radio is an obvious feature that it really needs.

I also wanted to make sure that the mobile device could also stream podcasts from around the web. I have a number of NPR (National Public Radio) podcasts that I really like, and being able to plug my headphones into my old WM5 phone and listen to them while lying in bed would be very cool. The best app for that is PPC Podcast.

You can choose podcasts from the list of categories included with the app, or you can do like I do and just manually type in the RSS link for your favorite podcast feeds from throughout the Internet.

Just like OpenWeb Radio, the content streaming takes place in Windows Media Player on the device.

Finally, I wanted to load the highest quality bedside clock app as possible on the WM5 device, and I discovered a pretty cool full-screen alarm clock app called WolfClock that works on Windows Mobile 5 just fine.

WolfClock is a fully customizable alarm clock application. You can completely change the color scheme and background of the display, and you can also modify how and when the clock runs, and what the alarm sounds like when it goes off. You can even set it to start the alarm soft and then increase the volume over time.

Network Monitoring Device

Even more than using the old device as a bedside clock and media device, I also wanted the ability to pick up the device and use it to access remote systems on my home network. One very useful app, particularly in a bedroom where you might have a computer running a video display across the room as a television, is PPC Remote Control.

As you can see from the image above, you can use this app to control just about everything the computer can do. This includes launching and controlling PowerPoint presentations, controlling Windows Media Player, and even remotely controlling the PC mouse and keyboard.

Surprisingly, mouse and keyboard control is very intuitive and easy to use, even on an old Windows Mobile 5 phone with an old-style touchscreen that requires a little more pressure than today’s touchscreens.

The app that I was really looking forward to using was the VNC Viewer. All I needed to do was install a VNC Viewer on this old WM5 phone and I can connect to my web server just like I’m sitting in front of it.

Of course, when you’re network troubleshooting, you want the ability to quickly check out the integrity of your connections. Ping is required for that, and the perfect app to perform ping with your old WM phone is PingBox.

Just type in the IP to check, click on “Ping“, and the app takes care of the rest.

Finally, the last monitoring tool that I find nice to have handy is the PPC Interface tool which provides a graphical display of all traffic in and out of the Windows Mobile device.

As you can see, it seems silly to store away a perfectly good smartphone in the back of a drawer, when there are so many cool things you can still do with that device. The fact that it can still access the Internet through Wi-Fi means that it can become a fully-functioning mobile computer. All you have to do is install the apps above, and you’re in business.

Do you have any old mobile devices hanging around the house? Have you reused them as useful wireless devices on your home network? Share some of your own ideas and experiences in the comments section below.

Image Credit: Stephen Davies

Glympse – A Safe & Simple Way To Share Your Location With Your Mobile Device

Steve Campbell — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:31:36 +0000

I’ve been preaching about geolocation apps for quite some time now. Whether it’s Foursquare, Gowalla, similar apps, services like Check.in, or any of the other geotagging apps we’ve covered, every geolocation app puts a fun twist on a very useful technology: GPS.

Glympse is the latest geolocation app I’ve become really excited about, because it offers a service that is extremely useful. Essentially, Glympse allows you to share your location with anyone for a specified period of time. It’s easier and faster than a phone call or text message, and it allows you to answer the question, “Where are you at?” without having to pull out your phone.

How Does Glympse Work?

Like I said in the title, Glympse is simple. After you install the app on your mobile device (more on that below), you can begin sharing your location with your friends or loved ones, or “send them a Glympse”.

To send a Glympse, simply select a contact from your list, set a duration (e.g. 15 minutes), and hit send. Anyone with an Internet-enabled phone or computer can receive a Glympse, with no software or setup required. You can send a Glympse to a specific person, several people, or even to Facebook and Twitter.

I also said that Glympse is safe, and by that I mean you have complete control over who sees you and for how long. Coincidentally, it also prevents you from having to call or text people while you’re driving just to tell them where you are. With Glympse, you can set the time limit beforehand and let the app do the talking for you.

Glympse’s website offers a very good simulation of how the app looks and works. For more information on what Glympse is and what it’s for, you can also check out this funny, yet informative video:

Other Features Of Glympse

With Glympse you can be sharing your location in real-time with others in seconds. There’s no sign-up, no passwords, and no social network for you to manage, and it works on a number of different devices, including the iPhone/iTouch, Android, Windows Mobile, and even the iPad.

As stated above, the recipient of your Glympses doesn’t need the app to get them. They can be sent to anyone via email, SMS, Facebook, or Twitter. Glympse will send a link to your real-time position and, optionally, your speed, destination, a message, and your ETA. It will automatically stop after the preset time period passes. You can even get a route from yourself to your friend’s current location/destination.

The video below does a great job of showing how the app works with Facebook and the iPad:

Where Can I Get Glympse?

If you are looking to install Glympse on an iOS device, you can get the app on iTunes. For Android users, you can check out Android Zoom or use the bar scanning app on your phone to scan this QR code:

If you are a Windows Mobile user, you can get Glympse here. Don’t have any of these devices? Glympse also has a beta program listed on their website for users who would like to get the app on their phone.

Conclusion

I think this is a really cool app. It is a really good use for geolocation technology and I think it’s something everyone can use on a weekly or even daily basis. Save yourself the hassle of having to answer a dozen calls from your friends asking, “When are you going to be here? Where are you?”. Send them a Glympse!

Anyway, that’s my two cents. I’d love to hear what you have to say about this app. What do you think of Glympse?

UC Browser Provides a Feature-Packed Mobile Browsing Experience On Multiple Platforms

Tim Brookes — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:30:40 +0000

There’s no shortage of mobile browsers these days, each claiming to be the fastest, the most feature-rich and the one that’s most compatible with your thumbs. UC Browser is a cross-platform mobile web browser that much like the rest offers a feast of useful features, speed enhancements and quick-access to your favourites.

The browser is available for Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile devices as well as the iPhone. There is also a lightweight Java version available in case you’ve not got the latest in mobile technology. Oh yeah, and it’s free ““ of course!

The version I’m testing is UC Browser 7.4 for the Symbian S60v5 operating system on a Sony Ericsson Satio.

Features

Much like the popular Opera Mini mobile browser, UC Browser doesn’t handle each destination within the application. Each request is handled by a server, compressed and sent to the phone. This essentially provides you with a fast, thin client perfect for use with mobile data plans.

As you’d (probably) expect by now, there’s multiple tab support and unlike Bolt Browser, you can have a whopping 12 open at a time. There’s also direct in-built support for searches too using your choice of Google, Yahoo!, Bing and Ask.com as an engine.

The mobile web browser’s home screen is an attractive and responsive hub with fast access to some oft-used services. You can pin 4 bookmarks to your home screen, and access to the rest of your favourites are only a click away.

The rest of the home screen is essentially made up of recommendations, and despite the odd dead link is functional with services like Orkut, GetJar and Zedge a few taps away.

There’s a couple of what seem to be sponsored links at the bottom, but they’re pretty easy to ignore and it’s free after all.

UC Browser 7.4 is able to tackle full web-pages, as well as the mobile web. You would probably be disappointed if it didn’t, considering most of the latest built-in mobile browsers do it by now. With this feature you’ve got the choice of multiple view modes for full web pages, to facilitate viewing on a tiny mobile screen.

Zoom mode (above) is much like Opera Mobile’s handling of web pages, providing vertical and horizontal scrolling and with text formatted so that it can be read easily. Adaptive mode (which is UC Browser’s default setting) removes the need for horizontal scrolling and works by stacking web content into one vertical stream.

I personally really liked this feature, as I find myself constantly moving the screen left and right whilst browsing with Opera Mobile ““ and the option of turning it on and off allows you to make your own mind up.

This isn’t all ““ the browser is absolutely jam-packed with other features. There’s even a file browser for sending files via Bluetooth (which I barely looked at, as most phones have that one covered), a night theme for dimming the screen in the dark (many phones also do that), quick sharing via SMS, and a powerful download manager that has a handy resume feature.

Performance

Starting UC Browser takes only a few seconds, and it’s generally very responsive. The home screen is easy to understand and provides for a nice clean interface and supports multiple themes.

Navigation is handled using the bar at the bottom of the screen, which acts as a context menu with different options appearing depending on what you’re doing. Whilst browsing a website you’ll have five options available ““ back, forward, menu, open tabs and home.

The menu button brings up an overlay menu with three separate tabs ““ Common, Settings and Tools. This is essentially the inner workings of the browser, and where you can make changes to the way the browser works.

Rendering is very fast on mobile sites and still quite speedy for full websites. I’ve not got my stopwatch out, but UC Browser is pretty much on a par with Opera Mobile (which makes both valid, speedy solutions).

There’s flash support (at least on the Symbian version I tested) for sites like YouTube, though I found I sometimes had to refresh the page in order to get videos working. Flash is not immediately loaded with the page, and you must select the object to load it.

Support is there, if a little flaky.

Download UC Browser

There’s a total of five different versions of UC Browser available for download, depending on your phone’s operating system:

iPhone ““ download it from the App Store [iTunes link]
Android ““ you can download the Android version by clicking here.
Symbian ““ there are a few different Symbian versions available, choose yours on this page. Note: the S60v5 version is apparently compatible with Nokia’s latest Symbian^3 phones (like the N8).
Windows Mobile ““ touch and non-touch versions of the browser are available here.
Java ““ signed and unsigned Java versions are available, including low memory versions for older mobiles on this page.

Conclusion

UC Browser provides a well rounded mobile browsing experience that handles nearly everything you throw at it. Video support could use some work, but that’s my only real complaint. The attractive interface, speedy rendering and sheer number of features makes this mobile web browser stand out as a real contender.

The added bonus of compatibility with older mobiles means you can enjoy this one even if you’ve not got the latest smartphone. Let us know what you make of it and how it compares to your current favourite in the comments.

Store Confidential Details on your Phone with SafeWallet [MakeUseOf Giveaway]

Angela Alcorn — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:30:12 +0000

Are you one of the many people who keeps bank account details or your PIN in your phone thinly disguised as a phone number? Unsurprisingly, thieves know people do this so it’s just not safe. If you need to keep important details on your phone, make sure you keep them secure. SafeWallet is precisely the application you need.

When it comes to keeping track of your secure details, SafeWallet has you covered across multiple platforms “” including your smartphone! So, you can enter in bank details, passport numbers and even more trivial details like clothing sizes. These are all kept safe from prying eyes, yet convenient for you to access when you’re out and about.

This week, MakeUseOf is giving away 25 combination copies of SafeWallet for both your desktop and mobile so you can benefit from this incredibly useful phone and desktop application. Give it a go!

Features

Multi-Device

SafeWallet is available for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, Symbian and Blackberry. This makes it incredibly versatile, so you can easily add information to SafeWallet using your PC and access it later on your phone.

Easy to use

SafeWallet is very easy to use. Once installed on your phone, Mac or Windows device it is fairly straightforward to create a new wallet, some sub-folders and enter some new cards. Start with just one wallet on one device, as you can sync them later very easily. A new card is made for each secure item you wish to document, eg. social security number, credit card, frequent flyer number, etc.

There are also numerous templates for cards ready for you to use, which also serves as a reminder for important numbers you might want on hand. You may also create templates for cards “” those made on your computer will be available on your phone for future use.

To copy data from a card, try clicking in the field. For other useful tools related to that data, look to the right of the information and you will see device-specific icons to send email, browse addresses or make a phonecall.

Wi-fi Sync

To sync your devices, there are two main options. The basic sync is to sync via your local wi-fi network. When your computer and smartphone share the same wi-fi network, you can navigate to the sync screen on both devices and it will share the wallet with the other device (For Android use Menu > Sync; For Windows use File > Settings > Sync or Tools > Sync Manager). Whenever you want to re-sync, simply follow the same process.

Cloud Sync with Dropbox

A more automated sync process is to use Dropbox. However, don’t sync with Dropbox as well as the wi-fi sync as you will end up with multiple copies of your wallet. To sync with Dropbox, visit the settings/preferences menu on each device and check the “Store Wallets in Dropbox” option (For Android use Menu > Settings > Dropbox; For Windows use File > Settings > Library). On a computer where you already use Dropbox, there’s no need to enter more details. The application simply finds your Dropbox folder and uses it. On the phone, you will need to log in to Dropbox via the SafeWallet application.

Once this Dropbox setup is complete, changes on any device automatically reflect in the others quite soon after the change is made. So, it’s effectively a multi-device automated sync.

Try SafeWallet

This handy application definitely worthy trying, as is such a simple and painless answer to the problem of storing your important confidential data on your phone.

If you miss out on the giveaway, SafeWallet is available with a free trial for your computer and a modest fee on Android and iPhone.

How do I win a copy?

It’s simple, just follow the instructions.

STEP 1
Join our Facebook page by clicking the Like button or you can follow us on Twitter, if you prefer. If you’re already following us, you may skip this step.
If you can’t see the fanbox, click on this link.

STEP 2

Here’s our giveaway form. Please fill it in accurately. Be sure to enter your real name and email address so that we can get in touch if you are chosen as a winner. Click here if you can’t view the form.

STEP 3
You’re almost done. Now, all that’s left to do is to share the post. There are 2 options to choose from or you can do both!
Like it on Facebook	Or share it on Twitter Tweet
And that’s it! You’re done!

Giveaway eligibility
You must be a fan of our Facebook page to enter;
Individuals who are over the age of 18. If you are under 18, get your parents to participate on your behalf;
Individuals who reside in a country embargoed by the United States; Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India are not permitted to enter.

This giveaway begins now and ends Friday, December 10th at 2100hrs PST. The winners will be selected at random and announced via email.

Spread the word to your friends and have fun!

MakeUseOf would like to thank SBSH Software LTD for their generosity while participating in this giveaway. Interesting in sponsoring? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via email.

Mac’s All-In-One Synchronisation Centre Gets An Update [Giveaway]

Jeffry Thurana — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:30:26 +0000

If you are like most modern people, you’d have your data scattered across multiple devices and places: computers, cell phones, online accounts, USB drives, and maybe even gaming devices. Synchronizing everything would be a mundane task and nobody wants to do it manually.

Luckily, Mac users have SyncMate. This all-in-one synchronization center will help you sync your data across multiple devices with little to no effort. All you have to do is add your devices/online accounts to the list, install the required drivers (if needed) and sync away.

SyncMate supports synchronization between Mac computer and: other Mac computers, Windows PC, Google Accounts, free online backup storage provided by Eltima, Sony PSP, and also a wide range of mobile devices. You can see the list of all compatible mobile devices here.

What I like most about SyncMate is its ability to perform simultaneous multiple device synchronization automatically at a customizable interval. So if you wanted to, you can have your Mac and Windows PC and Android Mobile Phone synced automatically every 10 minutes, every time those devices are within connection range without having to lift a finger.

We have discussed SyncMate before in these articles: “How To Sync Your Mac With Windows Mobile Devices & More” and “How To Sync Contacts, Calendars & Events Between Mac & PC“. We also had SyncMate Expert Edition giveaway.

Eltima – the maker of SyncMate – has just released the latest version of this software (v2.6) with many new features such as:

sync music, video and images between Mac and PC
import a folder with images or music/video from the synced device directly into iPhoto album or iTunes playlist on Mac
sync Mac Mail notes/Entourage notes/Stickies with Opera notes on Windows PC
convert audio files to various formats in iTunes & video plugin
ability to exclude certain files from synchronization when syncing folders.

To accompany this new release, Eltima is having another SyncMate Expert Edition giveaway for lucky MakeUseOf readers. For those who missed the previous giveaway, this is another chance to organize your data and make your life easier. We have 10 licenses to give away.

How do I win a copy?

It’s simple, just follow the instructions.

STEP 1
Join our Facebook page by clicking the Like button or you can follow us on Twitter, if you prefer. If you’re already following us, you may skip this step.
If you can’t see the fanbox, click on this link.

STEP 2
Here’s our giveaway form. Please fill it in accurately. Be sure to enter your real name and email address so that we can get in touch if you are chosen as a winner. Click here if you can’t view the form.
Fill out my Wufoo form!

STEP 3
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3 Cool Apps For Secretly Answering Your Mobile In A Meeting

Tina Sieber — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:31:08 +0000

It cannot be stressed enough that answering a cell phone in a meeting is an absolute no go. However, there may be occasions in which you expect an important call, maybe even relevant to the present meeting. Announce this before the meeting starts and eventually apologize in advance.

The truth is, there is no way covertly and personally answering a cell phone in a meeting will work. Even if you leave the room to talk to the person calling you, you will briefly disrupt the meeting. However, there are ways of dealing with incoming calls automatically, which will not disturb the meeting or yourself.

The following apps are designed for Windows Mobile phones.

XBLOCKR

XBLOCKR isn’t exactly automatic, as it does require your attention briefly. When you receive a call, you can choose from four different actions:

Duck: The call will be disconnected and the caller may hear a default busy message provided by your service operator or be diverted to your default voice mail.
Duck & SMS: In addition to disconnecting the call, an SMS (Busy, call later) will be sent to the caller.
Drop: The call will be answered for a second and disconnected, which may sound like a network error to the caller.
Divert: The call will be diverted to a third party number of your choice. This function requires the conference feature to be enabled with your operator.

An advanced version of XBLOCKER is available through its website. The download through Freeware Pocket PC (link above) is unlimited, while the XBLOCKER homepage only offers a 40 call trial version.

Mobile Secretary

Now Mobile Secretary will take care of your calls without you noticing it, unless you want to. What you do is set up groups and assign your contacts to the groups. For each group you can create a custom ringtone and text message. So when you miss a call while in a meeting, the caller will receive your custom text message.

For example you could ask them to call again later or let them know that you will call them back as soon as you can. You can also forward incoming text messages to another phone number.

I also tested a very similar tool called iSecretary. It’s supposed to work as an answering machine that lets you set rules and record custom voice messages for different groups of contacts. Sadly, it proved to be a failure as callers never get to hear your custom messages. On my HTC Touch Pro the message was played through the phone rather than to the caller, regardless of settings.

Call Firewall

The Call Firewall finally offers more options than the previous tools, but it’s also more difficult to set up. It provides the following features:

accept all calls.
accept calls from contact list only.
reject all calls.
accept only calls from numbers on white list.
reject all calls from numbers on black list.
reject all calls from a black listed number pattern, e.g. all calls with same area code.
reply with SMS.
call barring, i.e. restrict selected outgoing calls.
add calls as appointment.

Are you still wondering whether answering a cell phone in a meeting is OK? Check out this article on Groundswell for guidelines. If you’re not expecting an emergency call, you should simply turn off the ringtone and vibration before you head into a meeting and forget about your phone until you have time to return calls.

Also, check out other articles covering mobile apps on MakeUseOf.

What apps and tactics do you use for mobile phone calls when you are in a meeting?

Image Credit : mrceviz