Windows Mobile Device Center :: “No Default E-mail Program” Error Dialogue Box

Every time I fire up Windows Mobile Device Center, it pops up a window telling me I have no default e-mail program installed:

There is no email program associated to perform the requested action. Please install an email program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel.

This is clearly not true, as every time this happens I go to the “default program” center in the Control Panel and make sure I have Windows Live Mail selected as my default for ALL THINGS e-mail.  I have also tried choosing the computer’s “email default” from Internet Explorer, just to see if that made any difference.  It didn’t.

So… to reiterate… my Microsoft program won’t recognize another Microsoft program it’s requiring.  I could understand some third-party program incompatibilities, but you’d think Microsoft could at least work with it’s OWN software.

What gives?!

It’s incredibly frustrating, especially considering Windows Mobile Device Center won’t open up until I click OK in the “no mail program” dialogue box.  Thus, instead of being able to just open WMDC and keep working elsewhere, I have to open it, wait for the damn error box, click OK, and then it will open.

I searched for a solution for an hour this morning and couldn’t find anything.  There was promise here, but it doesn’t work.  I went through the steps listed to alter my registry, but it didn’t fix anything.

There are lots of forums and blogs reporting this problem, but Microsoft seems to be ignoring the issue, as there is no response from Big Brother anywhere.

Argh.

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I found that my Windows Live Mail is rather outdated (version 12 something instead of 14 something).  I think it’s awesome that if you click “check for updates” under “help” in Windows Live Mail, you’re taken to a screen capture showing you how to use Windows Update from the Start Menu to check for updates… but then when you do that, it doesn’t check for updates for Windows Live Mail.  Awesome, Microsoft, just awesome.

So I found the latest install for Windows Live Mail (14.0.8092.0805) and am currently installing it.  Warning: the install will try to install a bunch of other Windows Live crapware, be sure to deselect all the garbage Microsoft is going to try and load your computer with.

==========

Installing the latest version of Windows Live Mail did nothing to solve the problem above.

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GRemote Is My New Best Friend (remote control for PC via mobile device)

I’ve been trying to configure my Omnia i910 as a remote for my PC, and thus Windows Media Center (via Bluetooth and Windows SideShow), for a while.  I have been extremely unsuccessful in this endeavor, so today I decided to see if I could find a decent 3rd party app to take care of this seemingly simple task.

Hello GRemote!!!

There are two versions of this program (both work on Windows Mobile and/or Android): GRemote Pro ($14.95), and GRemote free.  I went with GRemote free, and it seems to do everything I need it to.  GRemote Pro has a larger suite of features, but since I’m just looking for a media controller, GRemote free is perfect for my needs.

Evidently GRemote Pro will work with .Net 2.0, but the free version requires .Net 3.5 or later (no big deal –just make sure you have .Net 3.5 installed on your device).

To make GRemote work, you’ll need to install the GRemoteServer program on your PC and GRemote on your device.  You can configure GRemoteServer to spawn on startup, or manually; I have mine configured manually, as I’m not always using my laptop as a media center.  Be sure to install the appropriate CAB for your device’s resolution.  The first time I installed the program on my device, like an idiot I installed just the “qvga” version instead of the “wqvga” version appropriate for the wider screen of the Omnia.  Because of this, the app was crashing on me quite a bit until I figured out what was wrong.

You can configure the app to work with multiple profiles, which means you can have a profile for all your computers (just make sure you install GRemote Server on any computer you wish to use with GRemote).  Configuring profiles is extremely easy thanks to the “find” button used to automatically retrieve the IP address necessary for communication between the server (your PC) and the device.

GRemote will work via USB, WiFi (my choice) and Bluetooth.

The free version includes these main parts:

	GCenter, where you select the control type you’d like to use,
	Gmouse, a virtual mouse that works with your device’s gravity sensor to control your PC (on the Omnia I have the HTC Emulator installed, and it works beautifully! Make sure to hold your finger on the screen to make it work (it took me a little while to figure that one out). If you click the “touch free” icon, the feature will work without touching the screen),
	Touchpad, a virtual touchpad to control your PC,
	GPad, specially configured for navigating around things like Media Center,
	GMedia, for directly controlling media program features (volume, stop, start, forward, reverse),
	Keyboard, an interface that you can type with,
	and GRace, a 2 axis, 12 button (?) game controller.

 

The app works perfectly with Hulu and Windows Media Center.  In fact, since it can function as a gyroscopic mouse and touchpad, it works perfectly with damn near anything on your PC (like Miro and VLC)!

Extra points for a really nice, clean looking interface with simple, finger friendly buttons and great design.

I love it.  One of the best (if not the best) apps I’ve installed on my Omnia to date.

…

HTC Accelerometer Emulator for Windows Mobile

I seem to have missed posting this VERY useful trick (even though I use it all the time), so here it is.

While the Omnia i910 has an accelerometer, it doesn’t always work with the programs that it should.

Speleomaniac at the MoDaCo forums has come up with a fantastic solution.  Go here and download the zip that contains the three necessary files: HTCAPI.dll, HTCSensorSDK.dll and HTCEmuPanel.cpl.  Place all three files in your device’s Windows directory and then soft reset.  I think HTCEmuPanel.cpl may even have the first two files included these days, so you may not need those for the install.

Go to your Windows directory and open the HTCEmuPanel.cpl file.  There will be a warning about trusted programs, yadda, yadda. Click “ok.”  There will be two more similar warnings to install the HTCAPI.dll and HTC SensorSDK.dll files.

The control panel will open up.  Follow the instructions (set your device on a flat surface and slick “calibrate.”

You’re good to go!

Backing up your Windows Mobile device

Here's a question: how in the FUCK does Windows Mobile Device Center not have a full back up feature?!

I'm not talking about syncing photos.  I'm not talking about syncing music.  I'm not talking about syncing contacts.

I'm talking about, God zaps you with a bolt of lightning or you're hit with an EMP and you lose EVERYTHING on your phone so you need to just restore the whole damn thing from your computer, maybe even on a replacement phone.

Microsoft's response?  Sorry, you're SOL.

Typical.

Evidently, it was a feature that USED to be in Active Sync, but for some reason MS decided to eliminate such a useful and important feature from their newest software.  This just seems WILDLY irresponsible.  It's things like this that get me closer and closer to jumping ship and going with the Droid.

So there are pretty much three options: SPB Backup ($24.95), PIM Backup (free, but currently MMS backup doesn't work) and Sprite ($29.95).

I'm not convinced that the free route is the way to go here, as it appears that PIM Backup only backs up specific things (schedule, contacts, messages, etc.), not your entire device.  So I'm not sure this is really a viable option.

I want to be able to do a complete system restore point for my phone (like you would with your computer).

On Sprite's web site there is a phone compatibility page, but under Samsung only the i900/i908 is listed (NOT the i910), so I don't know that I'm willing to risk it.

Looks like SPB is the only real option!

Thanks for leaving us out in the cold YET AGAIN, Microsoft.

...

Solution to Problem Pairing Bluetooth Device to Windows 7 (or Vista)

I am in the process of setting up my Omnia to act as a remote control (via Bluetooth) with Windows Media Center (more importantly, Hulu desktop plugged into Media Center).

I was having a HECK of a time pairing my device to my computer (Windows 7). Always there was a "bang" and when I would have Windows 7 troubleshoot the device, it couldn't come up with an answer.

I finally found the solution in a post by Rajiv Singh Suwal (Computer Engineer / Senior Software Architect). Thank you, Mr. Suwal.

1. Make sure Windows Mobile Device Center is installed on your computer. If it's not, you can download it from here.
2. Right click on "computer" in your start menu to access the Device Manager.
3. There will be an "Unknown Device" named "Bluetooth Peripheral Device" with a "bang" on it (exclamation point).
4. Right-Click "Bluetooth Peripheral Device" and click on "Update Driver Software."
5. Click "Browse My Computer for Driver Software" button.
6. Click "Let Me Pick from a List of Device Drivers on my computer".
7. Select "Bluetooth Radio" from the list. In the Company List choose "Microsoft Corporation" (not just Microsoft).
8. From the drivers list there may be one or more drivers with the name "Windows Mobile-Based Device Support" with different driver versions. Select the most recent.
9. Ignore the warnings about the driver not being trusted (hilarious, or perhaps telling, that Windows 7 doesn't trust drivers from MICROSOFT) and jump through the hoops.
10. Now "Device Manager'" should display "Windows Mobile-based device support"when you click on "Bluetooth Radios."
11. You may need to remove the device in your Bluetooth panel and then reinstall it. You may also need to restart your computer.

Worked like a charm for me! This should work for iPhones, WinMo devices and Android phones, 'cause it's all about the Bluetooth.

Streamlining "Back to Normal" from a Hard Reset

So I'm really getting the "back to normal" from a hard reset down to a science.

A couple of days ago I spent three hours on the phone with Verizon trying to figure out why my phone hadn't been able to receive data for three days. I finally gave up on them and did a hard reset. This always means starting from ground zero and having to reinstall everything, so I decided to make some changes to streamline the process. ***As an aside, I'm wondering if the reason I lost data transmission/receive capability was a conflict between the WiFi tethering software and the new Omnia ROM.

I now have a folder on my "My Storage" that contains the cabs of everything I reinstall when I do a hard reset (SPB Mobile Shell, Total Commander, Torch Button, Google Maps and Audio Notes Touch). Since a hard reset doesn't wipe the My Storage (or SD Card), those files are always there and ready when I need to start over. I also realized that the new Omnia i910 ROM already contains Windows Live, so there's no need to install that in order to sync my contacts (very nice).

I don't have this perfected yet, but there are some good programs like CERegEditor that will not only allow you to edit your registry via your computer, but they will also allow you to save your changes in configuration files and thus simply click a button to make all the saved changes (disable Keyboard auto deploy, make the vertical scroll bar wider).

If only there was some way to have the phone automatically:

1. re-associate all the photos and ringtones for my contacts
2. change the thread_sms.htm file so that the Text Composition area has a reasonable amount of space
3. set up my exchange server to sync Google Calendars (7 of them) using NuevaSync.com
4. Reload all my RSS feeds and Podcasts
5. Change setting for phone dial lock to off

...

Increase SMS Text Composition Area

For some reason, WinMo's default SMS composition area is only two lines high. That means you can't see what you're typing, and it's incredibly frustrating.

Luckily there's an easy fix. Using your Reg. Editor (I use Total Commander), navigate to the Windows directory on your mobile device and find the file called thread_sms.htm. You will need to edit this file (clicking on it will only cause your device to try and open it in your browser; make sure to select the edit icon in your Reg. Editor to alter the file).

Scroll down and find the line that looks like this:

< Inbox:content id="COMPOSESUBJECT" width="98%" height=35 spell focus count links noclearonbackpresshold limit=0 autocap inserttab scroll / >

Change that "height=35" to something larger. I've got mine at "60" and that seems to work pretty well.

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SPB Mobile Shell for Windows Mobile

The one thing that prevents the Omnia i910 from completely obliterating the iPhone is the user interface. I'm not sure why you'd make such a fantastic phone that's so difficult to use (read: navigation is atrocious). You can spend all kinds of time editing the registry, installing cab files, and basically hacking the hell out of the phone, or...

You can simply install SPB Mobile Shell. As mentioned before, I've always balked at the price of this download, but after having used it for a couple of weeks, I'm sold.

My initial download was version 3.0 just a couple weeks ago, but yesterday as I was getting ready to purchase a registration number, I saw they had upgraded to 3.5, so I went ahead and upgraded to the latest and greatest.

There are some great updates in 3.5 (3D e-mail and text views, the 3D carousel, additional widget pages, integrated Facebook and Twitter functionality, etc.), but with these updates come a few bugs.

3D Text and E-mail views don't work with the icon that brings in all three communication options (phone log, texts, e-mails). In order to get 3D text and e-mail to open when you tap the icon, you'll need to use the individual widgets (you can't use the combined 3 icon widget). You will also need to set the default view by holding down each icon, selecting "default action," and selecting "open 3D viewer."

Another significant bug (SPB is promising to fix soon) is that the "reply" and "reply to all" buttons don't populate the "to" field in your texting program unless "threaded/conversation" view is switched off. Again, "reply" and "reply to all" WILL WORK from the 3D view, but you must disable threaded SMS for now ("conversation view" on the Omnia).

The super cool (but otherwise useless) 3D Carousel (see photo above) doesn't work on the Omnia, because Omnia doesn't have a Graphics Accelerator --Omnia II has a processor fast enough to use software acceleration that will work well. You can see it working here.

Rather than completely reinvent the wheel, here is a great review on ZDnet (with video presentation) of SPB Mobile Shell. The review shows what's new in 3.5, and then takes a little time to go over the features of the whole program. It's a great way to familiarize yourself with what SPB Mobile Shell is all about.

Just FYI, a couple of my favorite things about SPB Mobile Shell are being able to install shortcuts to any app on pretty much any screen (it's so much easier to access your phone's programs), the superior contacts management, the superior calendar functionality, and being able to add photos for contacts from Facebook (seems trite, but I love this feature).

SPB Mobile Shell is a vast improvement over any interface I've seen for Windows Mobile touch phones, and is the last piece of the puzzle to make the Omnia i910 the ultimate iPhone killer.

...

Find Your MAC Address On Your Windows Mobile Device

Evidently your MAC address is a big, giant secret, because it's nearly impossible to find on your WinMo phone (it's not under any of the device settings).

However, here's the trick:

On Windows Mobile 6.1 and higher, dial #43574357* (I know a lot of these "dial codes" don't work on the Omnia i910, but I can verify that this one does). This code will launch a screen that shows all your device information, including PDA Version, Phone Version, Browser Info, Language, Battery, Bluetooth Version, Bluetooth MAC, Wi-Fi Version, Wi-Fi MAC, Phone Number, MEID, System ID, Channel, ESN, PRL/ERI, Technology, Network, and Capabilities.

On Windows Mobile 6.0, it's just #4357* (I don't know why they decided to duplicate the number with higher versions).

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Sync iTunes to Windows Mobile Device (Omnia i910)

Let's face it, Windows Media sucks. Really bad. It's an awful program to use.

And while iTunes has it's fair share of problems, it's still infinitely better than Windows Media.

The biggest problems iTunes faces are the same problems all Mac devices face: Mac keeps an iron grip on EVERYTHING. But as usually, people have figured out ways to pry open Apple's greedy little fingers.

I had been manually moving tunes back and forth from my computer to my Omnia. Playlists are simply XML files, and all the songs are just MP3's. It seemed like it would be easy enough to write a program to automate generating/converting/moving files... and sure enough, somebody's done it (sort of)!

There are a couple of pay programs, but me, being the cheap bastard that I am, found a great free one called iTunes Sync (creative, no?) from Binary Fortress (these guys also make a really great multi-monitor display program called Display Fusion).

I installed and set up iTuneSync according to the very simple instructions on the BinaryFortress website. I created a folder in iTunes called "Omnia Storage Card" and filled it with other play lists. I changed my USB connection for my Omnia from ActiveSync to Mass Storage Device. I clicked "Synchronize MP3 Player" in iTunes Sync, and voila! Everything in the "Omnia Storage Card" folder was synced to my Omnia.

Oh, glorious day!

One caveat I've realized after actually spending some time with this... the program only syncs the files... no playlists are transferred to your device, so you still have to manually sync (see problems below) or create playlists from within Windows Media Player Mobile. The developer of iTunes Sync is promising multiple playlist syncing in the next version, but he is not promising any specific release date for the new version.

So for now, this solution is only good for syncing the songs that you have in playlists. You will still have to manually create the play lists themselves. A workaround would be a program that could convert iTunes XML play lists to .ASX, which is the format Media Player Mobile uses.

Eric Daugherty created a program that will convert iTunes XML playlists to m3u, ext, wpl, or zpl (it will also transfer the actual MP3 files used by the playlist, which is GREAT), but apparently Windows Media Mobile will not play any of these formats (go figure). So what I need is a program that will convert the iTunes XML files to .ASX (which is used by the Windows Media Mobile player).

There are plenty of players for Windows Mobile that will play M3u, so I guess I'll just be using a different media player for now (pay attention Microsoft).

[Oct. 4, 2009 - UPDATE] While Windows Media Player mobile can't use .WPL files, Window Media Player 11 does... so the solution is to use Eric Daugherty's export program to create a playlist from iTunes for Windows Media, and then simply use Windows Media (via Active Sync) to place the iTunes playlist (and files) on your Windows Mobile device. If you have Eric's program set to generate the WPL file and place it in your Windows Media Music directory, it will simply appear under playlists in Windows Media, and you can sync with your device from there.

Woo-hoo! Not as elegant as I'd like (you have to use three programs), but it works perfectly!

[ANOTHER SOLUTION] Music Bridge will sync iTunes and Windows Media libraries. It's a pretty robust program with many options as to what you can sync (see the download page for a description). After running music bridge, you can then sync your device using Windows Media/ActiveSync as above. When I tried this method, it didn't seem like the sync was working (the iTunes lists didn't show up under playlists in WinMedia). However, under the sync settings in Windows Media, all the iTunes playlists were available for syncing with my device. Weird, but it works!

So hopefully one of the above solutions will work for you!

...

Omnia Ground Zero reboot

I'm not quite finished with this list yet, but I'm going to post it anyway.

As previously posted, my Omnia was hosed last night, so Verizon gave me a new one. This is the process I followed today when reinstalling, hacking and re-configuring the phone.

Can I just say that Microsoft does a damn fine job of making it REALLY fucking hard to get things done? There's no way it should take a person five hours to simply get his phone functioning as it should in the first place. Bastards.

These are the steps I've taken so far:

• installed MyMobiler (control phone from PC)
  
• switched to Today screen (deselected crappy Samsung Widget)
• installed Paul from Modaco's .NET configuration CAB and .NET 3.5 update*
• installed CeRegEditor CeRegEditor is nice, because it automatically uses an interface from your PC (not the phone itself), but it is only for RegEdits, as opposed to Total Commander which is a RegEditor, file explorer, and editor for any type of file
• installed Total Commander
• turned of motion rotate
• assigned camera button to rotate
  
• RegEdit - disabled keyboard auto deploy for SMS and MMS
• RegEdit - enabled Today 2
• updated Opera cache and download folder to utilize My Storage
• switched dpad to optical mouse
• set upper side "menu" button to Task Manager
• updated and merged all my contacts on the Windows Live website then downloaded Windows Live to sync contacts (this step took an eternity)
  
• setup NuevaSync.com exchange server to sync Google Calendars
• installed VITO Audio Notes Touch
• installed iDialer
• installed GreenButton
• installed PocketCM contact manager (took a good, long look at iContact, but it didn't offer all the goodies of PocketCM)
• installed PocketCM themes
  
• installed SoftKey Manager
• mapped left key to PocketCM
• created program screen .lnk file and mapped right soft key to it
  

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the fact that Microsoft names all their services ALMOST the exact same thing is fucking infuriating. Live Search? Windows Live? Live.com? Windows Mail? Windows Live Mail? Yes, none of those things are the same (seriously... none of them... they're all something different). What... the... FUCK?! Not only that, but to make your phone work to its full potential, you have to install them all (well, not Windows Mail, because Windows Live Mail replaced it). WHY NOT JUST INCLUDE THEM IN THE FUCKING FIRST PLACE?!

(why is it that my blood pressure shoots through the roof whenever I have to make major changes/upgrades to anything PC/Microsoft related?)

In the end, I still think the offerings of WinMo and the Omnia are superior to the Mac alternatives (iPhone), but it sure is a freaking mess trying to get to the point where you can actually function.





*In case the .NET updater thread ever disappears, here are the steps:

• Download and install both CABs (to internal memory!)
• Run .Net Configuration from your Program Menu
• Navigate to the 'Device Policy' tab and select version 3.5
• Selecting 'Apply' then 'OK'

Move Opera Mobile cache to "My Storage"

This tip has of course been added to the main Omnia how to post.

Here's a great little trick to free up some device storage from xsrx over on the Modaco forums:

Something not mentioned, but that I assume is a good idea: clear your old cache first. Open Opera, click the little arrow in the bottom right, go to History, click the trash can and affirm that you want to delete all. If you don't do this first, you'll need to delete stuff from your old cache folder at Application Data\Opera9\cache. Now...

• Close Opera.
• Create a folder on your storage card where the cache files will go. I chose \Storage Card\Program Files\Opera\cache4, but I don't think the folder structure or folder name matter.
• Open \Application Data\Opera\opera.ini in a text editor. [note: this directory was "opera9" not "opera" on my phone; "opera" is just help and skins]
  
• In the [User Prefs] section, add the following line: Cache Directory4=[full path to folder on storage card].
• Save and close opera.ini.
• Restart Opera. Your cache is now being written to your storage card.

Here is an incredibly helpful post from Downloadsquad on some other really useful Opera Mobile tweaks. For instance, it shows you how to change your default Download directory, which I did. You can also move help files, etc... to My Storage to free up even more space.

Google Reader for Mobile Devices SUCKS

The default RSS Reader on my Omnia (default WinMo RSS Reader) is fine, but I'd like to have something a little more robust. I'd at least like to be able to "star" certain things to come back to them later... better yet, I'd like to be able to mark them and have that mark integrate with my main computer RSS Reader so I could later take a look from my computer.

You can e-mail a link from the default RSS Reader, but it's a many-step pain in the butt, so not the best solution (takes over a minute just to send yourself a reminder about whatever you want to remember to revisit).

It would be excellent if the reader functioned with my Google Reader. I'd be able to star the item, and then when I returned to my computer I could simply check my starred items via Google Reader on my Google Homepage.

So I decided to see if there was a mobile version of Google Reader. I went to http://m.google.com/reader and was pleased to find a link called "Get Google Reader for your phone" with a form field to fill in your mobile number. I typed in my mobile number and expected to receive a cab file from Google.

Instead, they send a freaking link to a web page. I don't want to visit a web page; I want an app so I don't have to open my browser and get on the web. It pretty much defeats the purpose of having a mobile RSS Reader in the first place.

ANNOYING AS HELL.

Not only that, but in order to "star" something, you have to scroll to the very, very bottom of the page and click a link.

Stupid.

Furthermore, there is no option to add Google Reader to your mobile iGoogle page. What in the...? When you select "Add stuff" from your mobile iGoogle page you find a list called "popular" where you can add the "Betty Crocker Recipe of the Day," but not your Google Reader. There don't seem to be any other options from that location to find (actually useful) things to add to your iGoogle mobile page.

Again: stupid.

Bad job, Google.

[update] If you're using Opera Mobile 9.5, you can "trick" Google into thinking you're not actually on a mobile device. This will allow you to see Google Reader on your iGoogle page (you can look at your real iGoogle page, not just the extremely scaled down piece of shite that Google redirects you to when your on a mobile device).

Just following these steps:

To change the user agent in Opera Mobile 9.5 type the following into your address bar:

about:config
Scroll down the page to the item "User Agent" and click on it.
It will say "Spoof user agent ID"

1 is Opera Mobile 9.5
2 is firefox
3 is IE 6

...

Syncing Vista Windows Contacts with Windows Mobile without Outlook

Yes this is it, the answer you've all been looking for. I will save my rants for the second half of this post. First, I'm just going to tell you how you can sync your Windows Contacts with your Windows Mobile device without using Microsoft Outlook. This is the (absolutely free) way to sync your contacts.

Yes, Vista comes with Windows Mail, which it clearly states is the updated version of Outlook. Well, even though that is so, *surprise!* it is now completely obsolete, as Microsoft has decided to create something new called Windows Live Mail (I love how they create new programs named almost exactly the same thing). At least it's free.

So here it goes:

1. Export your Windows Contacts as a .CSV file (yes, get ready to not use your Windows Contacts anymore... evidently Microsoft really wants you to use the cloud).
2. If you don't have a Windows Live account (Microsoft's version of what Google's been doing for a long time), then create one (it's free).
3. Import your Windows Contacts .CSV file into your Windows Live account. Don't be confused when they call your Windows Live mail account Hotmail (yes, I thought Hotmail was dead too). Or maybe they won't call it Hotmail. It depends what page you're on. Microsoft seems to be even more confused than we are about this whole mess.
   
4. Download Windows Live Mail (yes, it's actually a program you have to download onto your computer; this replaces Windows Mail... don't ask). As a side note: as soon as the install asked me if I wanted to make Windows Live Mail my default e-mail program I screamed "HELL NO" and made the appropriate selections. However, this is now where I maintain my contact information.
   
5. If it's not already on your Windows Mobile device, install Windows Live on there (it's basically a proprietary Exchange Server that works only with Windows Live).
   
6. Open Windows Live on your mobile device and click "sync."
7. Cross your fingers, pray, do whatever it is you do to make the universe treat you right. Your Windows Contacts should now be synced with your mobile device.
8. Make sure you use Windows Live Mail to maintain your contact information on your computer from now on.

NOTE: if you don't need your contacts on your computer, you don't really need to download Windows Live Mail. You can just maintain all your contacts online via your Live.com account. Then, sync your online contacts to your phone with Windows Live as above.

Now for the rant...

First of all, I want to express my extreme frustration and anger with Microsoft for making it so incredibly difficult to simply sync your Vista contacts with your mobile device. They made Vista right? They made WinMo right? WTF?! I spent nearly a week trying to figure this thing out, coming across countless posts, threads, etc... with people clamoring for a solution to this problem.

Why in the world would Microsoft make this so hard?! Do they not realize how much they are pissing off their client base? It's enough to make somebody switch to Mac.

Other questions that came up while searching for the answers... How many times will Microsoft change the name of a program/system? Outlook Express? Windows Mail? Windows Live Mail? Hotmail? Windows Live? What does it all mean?! Next time, try and make it a little more confusing.

I could go on and on and on, ranting about how I want to gouge out the eyes of whomever is in charge of this new Windows Live mess, but I'm tired, and I'm sick of anything and everything involved with this topic.

Hopefully this workaround helps out anyone looking for a non-Outlook sync solution until Microsoft gets their shit together and actually integrates a simple and easy way to sync your computer contacts and mobile device contacts (is that too much too ask?).

...

Zumobi REI Snow Report app expects WinMo to conform to their standards

A while back I installed Zumobi's joint venture with REI, a WinMo Snow Report app. It seemed like it would be great, but unfortunately it didn't support the Omnia's resolution, and was thus completely useless. I wrote a letter to Zumobi to see when they'd be releasing a patch for the higher Omnia resolution (a simple piece of code), and here is their response:

Hi there,

Here is the answer to your question (from a Zumobi engineer):

Unfortunately, Zumobi will not be compatible with the Omnia i910. The Ombia i910 runs a resolution that is different from the native QVGA resolution, making it incompatible with Windows Mobile.

Zumobi's current Windows Mobile product was developed when most cell phone hardware used a standard QVGA resolution. Now that many smartphones, such as the iPhone, are the center of the mobile world, the Windows Mobile team is working quickly to develop a program that supports larger resolutions. Hopefully Windows Mobile team will soon develop devices that will allow compatibility with future Zumobi platforms. Until then, Zumobi is meeting the demand that the iPhone has created - the amount of app downloaders that are iPhone users is so large that the majority of focus goes there.

First, hilarious that this person thinks the Omnia is incompatible with Windows Mobile.

Second, evidently Zumobi expects Microsoft Windows Mobile team to change their software to "allow compatibility with future Zumobi platforms." While I'm sure Zumobi is an industry giant, I don't see this happening, Zumobi.

Hilarious.

Again: Why Microsoft Sucks (trying to sync contacts with Vista and WinMobile)

[see updates after the original post]

Somebody please explain to me why Microsoft has to make it so incredibly fucking difficult to sync my computer contacts and my mobile contacts.

My phone is WinMobile 6.1. My laptop is Vista. Both programs are Microsoft, and Microsoft continuously brags about how awesome both programs are (unlike WinXP64, which they pretend doesn't even exist). If you plug the goddam phone into the goddam computer, you should be able to sync the contacts from one to the other.

NOT SO! Evidently Microsoft feels you should have to go through an online Exchange Server in order to sync contacts (and e-mail, and calendar, etc...) Why in the world would you have to sync "out there?!" Why can't you just sync from device to device?!

The only thing you can sync between Vista and your mobile device are individual files (not your contact folder) and media. WTfuckingF?!

I am so sick of blowing countless hours on trying to make Microsoft software work like it should in the first place.

All the "how to's" and pages devoted to syncing your contacts state: "Simple! Use Outlook!" Well here's a problem, assholes: Vista doesn't have Outlook. It has "Windows Mail," which is, as Microsoft states in their Vista literature and help, "the successor to Outlook." If it's the successor, why in the HELL doesn't it work to sync your WINDOWS MOBILE contacts?

If somebody knows a good way to sync your Windows Contacts with your mobile device NOT USING OUTLOOK, please post it in the comments for this thread.

Also, if somebody knows how to set up multiple Exchange Server relationships, please let me know. I want to sync my phone calendar with Google Calendars using NuevaSync, but I need to be able to sync my contacts (evidently ONLY by an Exchange Server, since that's all WinMobile allows) to something other than Google's contacts. [because]>>> Why won't Google add more than the measly few contact fields it supports? Only one name field (no first and last)?! Are you freaking kidding me?!

[/grumpy old man rant]


[UPDATE, Feb. 18, 2009 (three more days of searching for solutions): To reiterate, it's INSANE that Microsoft is replacing Outlook with Windows Mail in Vista (their words, not mine) yet ActiveSync WILL NOT sync contacts to your mobile device unless you have Outlook. INCREDBILY INFURIATING.]

[UPDATE, Feb. 20, 2009: Guess what? Windows Mail (Vista's default mail program) is already obsolete! Wheee!! Evidently Windows Live Mail is now what you're supposed to use. I love how Microsoft changes entire lines of programs willy-nilly.

p.s. The crap workaround to the original problem is exporting your Vista Contacts as a .csv and importing them into your Windows Live (Hotmail -awesome how MS has thirty names for everything, and they change them every day, no?) account. You can then use Windows Live for your mobile device to sync contacts with your device (like an exchange server). I just wish they would make it more complicated. ]

...

PocketCM Contact Manager (free) WinMobile App

Yesterday I stumbled across, downloaded and installed a contact manager from PocketCM. I can honestly say I'm impressed. I didn't have high expectations, especially after what I've seen of other contact management apps (like iContacts), but this thing is really great.

I'm a designer, so the first thing that really grabbed my attention was the animation transition between screens. The transitions are thoughtful, and not so gimmicky that I feel their power consumed to functionality ratio is off balance. The current version as of this post is 0.29. From what I see comparing it to previous versions, I'm not a fan of the new default skin (text-only buttons instead of more finger friendly graphics, the dial pad is too small, etc...), so I immediately updated to a user created skin called Dark Diamond II v_0.3 (make sure to get the Omnia appropriate size). The combo is infinitely superior to Samsung's phone program and contact manager.

The PocketCM contact manager provides you with finger-friendly iPhone-style up and down scrolling, but you also get an alphabetized content bar (instead of a hard-to-use scroll bar) on the left and right (visibile as an alphabet along the edge in the default theme, invisible in some other themes... but still completely functional). Slide your finger along the left or right edge of your screen and you quickly scroll through the letters of the alphabet; just stop on the letter of the name you're looking for. This system is fantastic for finding a contact quickly and easily even if you have hundreds of contacts. Not only that, but the dial pad that shows on the page features opacity, so you can see the full screen of contacts even when you have your dial pad open.

I love that this contact manager incorporates a dial pad. I'm not going to completely ditch iDial just yet (sometimes I like having a huge dial pad that takes up the whole screen... big giant buttons are so much easier to use), but I'll definitely never use the phone's old dial pad (or contact manager) again. Maybe I'll even work up a theme that features a full screen dial pad... or maybe somebody else will, so I don't have to.

I've already used Green Button to map my phone's "call" button (the button you use to send a call) directly to PocketCM. I've also ticked the "set as default" box within the PocketCM settings, so PocketCM is my default contact program.

In addition to a great look and feel, PocketCM incorporates your SMS conversations (threaded) and all call history. You can open a contact and with a click you can quickly see all SMS history and/or call history with that person. Fantastic.

There are also features like "favorites" and "filtering." You can compile a list of favorite contacts for quick dialing, or you can filter your contacts by Company, City, Category, etc... Again: fantastic.

I highly recommend you check this application out. PocketCM touts itself as a "more finger friendly" app, and I couldn't agree more... and that's just the tip of the iceberg as to why this application is a superior contact manager and dialer.

=====

The developer has a couple of other apps like a calendar and a photo viewer that utilizes an interface like the iPhone's cover flow music browser. I'm not sure I'm ready to give those a shot yet, but something that I will definitely be trying out in the very near future is the keyboard app.

PocketCM Keyboard features a customizable keyboard (yes, you can change what letters, symbols, etc... are available on each screen), but more importantly it features the iPhone-like "letter magnification" that I so love. You can also skin the keyboard and set it as the default keyboard for your phone.

So more on PocketCM Keyboard soon!

...

Sync your Google Calendars with iPhone or Win Mobile device using NuevaSync.com (free)

This information is of course in my Omnia i910 "how to" post.

Our family uses Google Calendars. It seems to be the simplest way for us to keep our lives known and available to each other. It works from any computer and across all platforms. It's simple and robust and it works for us.

Now that I have a new WinMobile device, the problem for me was finding a FREE way to keep my Omnia synced with Google Calendars. OggSync will let you sync with one calendar for free. To sync with multiple calendars, you have to pay $30 a year.

It seems odd that Google's only mobile solution is viewing a scaled down version of Google Calendars via your mobile browser. What kind of crap is that? That's not syncing... it's just a whole lot of work to see and add calendar entries (open your mobile browser, browse to m.google.com/calendars, log in to your account, try and maneuver the clumsy interface from your phone's tiny browser... ugh!).

So I searched the web for a while, and finally stumbled upon NuevaSync.com. You don't have to install any software on your phone, because it works with software already on your phone (iPhone via whatever dark arts it uses, or Win Mobile via ActiveSync). You can sync Mail, Contacts, Calendar and/or Tasks... and all over SSL. You simply set up a NuevaSync account, "allow" the partnership via an automatic link presented to you by Google, and you're good to go.

It took me about 5 minutes to set things up and start syncing my calendars. Changes I made online were visible on my phone, and changes I made on my phone were visible online. Perfect.

One caveat is that if you use the service, when you start using it it will erase any information (for the service you're syncing) already on your phone. So back up any calendar information that exists only on your phone. Luckily, I hadn't started creating events on my phone yet.

Also, I suppose there is some risk entering your Google log-in information into NuevaSync's online database. I don't really care if someone sees my calendar entries, but e-mail is another story. I do like that the sync connection is SSL though (if you tick the box during your setup).

I'm not a fan of Google's contact structure (no first and last, just "name," not enough "other" fields for multiple mobiles, home phones, etc...), so I'm not using NuevaSync for contacts (though I'm sure quite a few people will be excited about this feature). I'm already using Google's stellar IMAP set-up to push e-mail to my WinMo device, so I don't need to sync mail. I have no idea what "tasks" are yet, so obviously I'm not using that.

Thus I'm only using NeuvaSync to sync my Google Calendars with my Omnia, but so far, it's fantastic. And it's free!

Kudos NuevaSync.com.

[update: I am experiencing difficulties with repeating events like birthdays and anniversaries; if you use this service and are able to sync repeating events, please post in the comments and let me know. Thanks!]

Omnia i910 :: HOW TO

***If you just want a simple list of links to apps, tips and tricks with minimal comments, scroll to the bottom of this post for "THE LIST."

Tired of trying to cull through thousands of pages of thread posts to figure out how to simply do stuff with your Omnia (or perhaps another Windows Mobile based device)? Well look no farther. I will be posting any information I can glean about my Omnia i910 here.

This won't necessarily be an Omnia (SCH-i910) for Dummies (though it starts out that way), but I will try to include material ranging from primer level to stuff that will be more interesting to those who want to delve deeper. And if you're a noob (like I was) there's plenty of easy info. here.

My frustration started last week when I opened my new Omnia ordered from Verizon (shiny!) and tried to load my contacts from my old EnV VX9900 onto it. I spent three days trying to figure things out. Very frustrating.

So here is "how to" number one:

Swallow your geek pride, and take your old phone to the Verizon store to have them transfer your numbers for free. Like I said, I spent three days trying to do this on my own. When I finally just went into the Verizon store, it took them about 8 minutes and it cost me nothing.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll post the rest of my findings and thoughts here. There is a simple list of tools, tricks and links at the end of this post, so go there for the quick fix.

***If you just want a simple list of links with minimal comments, scroll to the bottom of this post for "THE LIST."

====================
SOME BASICS

Use the Start menu! I didn't realize until a day or so in that you can click on the "Start" just like in WinXP or Vista (and I felt really stupid when finally I realized). When you click on Start, there is a drop down with many options (that you can customize).

Installing apps involves placing .cab files on your phone. Don't fret. This is very easy. Simply place the .cab file on your phone, either by downloading it directly with your phone from the app's website, or by downloading it to your computer and then moving the file to your phone via Windows Explorer and ActiveSync. I've been placing all my .cab files in the My Storage root folder (just inside "My Storage" without any extra folder).

Now just use the Omnia's "File Explorer" (or other file program like Total Commander) to find the "My Storage" folder, open it, and click on the .cab file. The phone knows what to do from there. It will ask you where you want the program installed (device or My Storage). I suggest installing your apps on the device so they run faster, but if you start installing a LOT of apps, you'll need to use the extra space on your "My Storage."

If you decide you don't like a program/app, uninstalling is very easy. Go to Start > Settings > System (it's a TAB at the bottom of that page)> Remove Programs. Select the program you no longer want and remove it!

====================

You may want to do this immediately:

I quickly became frustrated trying to do lots of things via my Omnia's tiny touch screen interface. Why, oh why don't they have a program to control my phone via my PC?! Well "they" do! MyMobiler rules! It is a simple program that connects your PC to your phone via WiFi or USB and then opens a window on your PC that allows you to control your phone in real time (there is a tiny lag). Finally I can edit my contacts on my phone with my PC keyboard! This is also a great way to learn the ins and outs of your phone via a more friendly input device (your real keyboard and mouse).

====================

Actually, you may want to do this first: get rid of the Samsung Widget.

Click "Start." Click "settings." Click "Today." At the bottom click "Items." Uncheck "Samsung Widget" and get rid of that godawful sidebar for your opening screen. Woo-hoo! Freedom! (Sorry, I've just become completely annoyed by the Samsung Widget sidebar; it's pretty damn useless, as you can't customize what's available, and a lot of what is there you won't use... ever --who cares if you can move the icons around the screen if they're useless?!).

You can now select "Today Screen" as your opening screen. If I don't switch to another shell (like SPB) or a screen/icon program like iFonz (see link below), I will be using "Today 2" for my home screen. More on that later (see the "how to" in the registry editing section of this post).

====================
SYNCING YOUR CALENDAR AND CONTACTS

Microsoft's Active Sync will only sync your contacts utilizing Outlook. Since that's bulls**t, here are a couple of other options:

• Sync to Thunderbird via Birdie Sync or FinchSync (WinXP only for now)
  
• (Not so much a sync, but at least a back up) Back up contacts with PIM Back up application
• iContacts (I haven't tried this yet, but people seem to like it as an alternative to Windows Contacts --apparently it works well with iDialer and thumbCal, but I haven't tried these yet) [update... I wouldn't really consider this a syncing option... it's just a different contact manager for your phone]
• To sync your Windows Contacts with your Mobile Device WITHOUT using Outlook (apparently the only way Microsoft wants you to sync contacts), I've created a How To post here.
  

====================
MAPS and GPS

GPS for the i910 is currently only available via VZNavigator. There are many rumors that it will be unlocked for 3rd party apps during the first half of 2009.

Google Maps... just plug in your number and Google sends you a link that you click. A .cab file downloads to your phone and Google Maps is installed automatically. Currently, Verizon has GPS locked up so you can only use it with VZNavigator. Supposedly that will be changing in the first half of this year.

However, after doing some more searching, I found that Windows Live Search Mobile is pretty much the same thing as Mobile Google Maps... except Gizmodo says that it's much better. You be the judge.

[update] After using it, Windows Live Search is clearly superior for the Omnia (and I assume all other Windows Mobile based phones). It makes sense that an app created by the maker of the entire OS would work better... and it does. For the Omnia, I highly recommend Windows Live Search over Google Maps. It spawns faster, and the tools are more useful. You can even speak locations and Live Search will find them for you. I really look forward to the day that Verizon unlocks the GPS and you can use the "find me" link.

[another update] After a month of actually using Live Search, I'm not so sold. The "traffic" option is often waaaaaay off (it will tell you that your road is free and clear, when in fact things are at a dead stop). The restaurant search doesn't have a LOT of restaurants listed. And the "search for specific locations" function is often extremely frustrating in that you have to manually update what you are searching "near" every time. Very bothersome. I think this would be much better if you could utilize GPS for the "find me" feature (still disabled by Verizon on the i910). So I reinstalled Google Maps and I use that for traffic and maps. I still use Live Search to find movie showtimes and theaters.

====================
HARD RESET

1. Press the soft reset hole beside your power button (it's very tiny)
   
2. Press the CALL and CANCEL buttons at the same time when you see the Samsung Omnia on the screen
3. The reset screen will appear (yes will hard reset, no will soft reset)

Supposedly, this method does not format your 8GB/16GB hard drive memory (only the system memory). To wipe everything, use the hard reset from the SETTINGS menu as follows (from the Omnia manual):

1. From the Today screen, tap the right soft key function: Main Menu > Settings > System tab > Hard Reset
2. The Hard Reset screen displays with the Memory tab open. To reset your phone, tap the Clear all data button.
3. At the Clear all data prompt, tap Yes.
4. Tap the QWERTY keyboard icon at the bottom bar on the main LCD screen to open the virtual QWERTY keyboard and enter the Device Lock Code (last 4-digits of your phone number) and tap “yes” in the box.

====================
RINGTONES/NOTIFICATION SOUNDS

Creating New Notification Tones for SMS Messaging

Copy and paste your SMS tones or music to the main WINDOWS folder. The music or tones must be stored in the WINDOWS folder and not any sub folder within it. Go to your sound settings and the new tones should appear in the drop-down for easy selection.

For the following changes, make sure you have enabled viewing of hidden files on your phone.

It seems odd, but WinMo doesn't seem to have an interface to change specific notifications, so you have to actually change the file that is used for the tone you want changed. In other words, to change the sound for when you turn the phone on, simply change the file called "pwr_on.wav". Create or find a sound you like, remove the original "pwr_on.wav" from the Windows directory. (I like to just rename the file as "pwr_on_old.wav" so I can go back to it if need be), and then add the sound you like... but rename the file "pwr_on.wav". I'm also not sure why the phone uses .wav files (larger) instead of .mp3 files (smaller).

EXAMPLE (change Ringer Off sound) : For some reason, the sound the phone makes when you turn off the ringer is INCREDIBLY loud. When you're turning off your ringer, isn't it because you don't want to make a lot of noise? WTF? This problem is easily remedied by changing the "PhoneOff.wav" file in your main Windows directory. You can replace the tone with a sound of your choice or replace it with a silent .wav file for no sound at all.

IMPORTANT NOTE (how to move sounds): When you drag and drop a .wav file to your phone, it will most likely be placed in the My Documents folder. You will then need to find the file in My Documents, click and hold on the file and then choose "copy/move." Select "tree" to see the folder view and then select "Windows." If you named the file correctly, your file should overwrite whatever sound you are replacing (you may need to uncheck "read only" and/or "archive" in the properties of the file you are replacing).

This all seems like a major pain in the butt to just change a sound, but I think this is how you have to do it until Microsoft implements a real sound panel.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE (where to put your ringtones): If you don't want your ringtones gobbling up your system memory, create a file in "My Storage" named "My Ringtones". You can place mp3's and wav's in this folder and they will show up in the Sounds and Notification settings. They will also show up in your Windows Contact editor (but they didn't seem to show up in the PocketCM contact editor --I assume this could be fixed with a reg. hack).

As I understand it, you can also change where your Omnia looks for the ringtones by editing the Registury thus:

1) Navigate to HKey_Current_User > ControlPanel > Sounds > RingTone0
2) Change "SavedSound" value to your desired directory.
3) Exit registry editor and soft-reset. You are done

====================
EDITING YOUR REGISTRY
(It's often a good idea to soft reset your phone after making registry changes; just use a paper clip to press the teenie-tiny button next to the power button.)

First, BE CAREFUL. You can really screw things up in here. I take no responsibility for you hosing your phone, and I WILL NOT help you get things back to where they belong. That said, you'll need a program to edit your registry. I'm using Total Commander. Open Total Commander. At the root, click on "plug-ins." This takes you to three backslashes in the address bar ("\\\"). You should see three directories: ftp, LAN, and registry. Click on "registry," and you'll see HKCR, HKCU and HKLM. These are what you'll be editing.


To unleash the "Samsung Today 2" option, use your registry editor to drill down to the path shown below; once you get to "Items," you'll need to create the "Samsung Today 2" directory by clicking on the icon at the bottom of your screen with the folder and plus sign. Now double click the "+Add value+" icon (not the text), and then start creating what you see in the list of registry values below. Type in the name first. Then select the "type." Notice most of the entries are "DWORDS" (only "DLL" is a "String"), and the DWORD values are "decimal."

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Today\Items\Samsung Today 2]
"Type"=dword:00000005
"Order"=dword:00000003
"Options"=dword:00000001
"Enabled"=dword:00000001
"DLL"="secst.dll"
"Selectability"=dword:00000002
"Flags"=dword:00000000

After you enter these values, go to "settings" and click the "today" screen. On the "items" tab, deselect everything and check the "Samsung Today 2" box. You're there! Here's a simple list of the Today 2 screen features and how to use them.


Change Scrollbar Thickness (wider is more finger friendly):

Horizontal (bottom) scrollbar:
HKLM\System\GWE\cyHScr = 9 (DWORD decimal)
Vertical (right) scrollbar:
HKLM\System\GWE\cxVScr = 9 (DWORD decimal)

Change Dialer Screen to original default (this hack will save you around 6-10MB of system memory and I think the interface is better)

HKLM/Security/Phone/Skin
Enabled: 1 : change 1 to 0

After a soft reset, your screen should look like this.


Disable Auto Keyboard Pop-up in E-mail or SMS/MMS (man, that gets annoying):

HKCU\ControlPanel\Sip
Change TurnOffAutoDeploy from a 0 to a 1.

Delete Shozu (free up 400k of running RAM plus extra space for program files)

HKLM\init\
Look for Launcher140, containing the string "\Windows\shozurcp.exe"
Delete Launch140.
Delete additional space by removing files:
Delete the ShoZu shortcut file from "\windows\start menu\programs\"
Delete the entire ShoZu folder and everything in it from "\program files\cognima\Shozu"

Record Video in 400x240

HKCU\Software\Samsung\Camera\VideoSize
Change VideoSize to 1653
Available settings: 1652=640x480 1653=400x240 1654=320x240 1655=176x144
Note: you cannot achieve this size setting from within the camera; you can only set the video to this size by editing the registry (until I find a way to add a link) I'm not sure why they didn't include a 400x240 icon on the video size screen, if it's obviously available on the phone.

Change Directory Path for Ringtones
(I actually haven't tried this, so lemme know if it works.)

Navigate to HKey_Current_User > ControlPanel > Sounds > RingTone0
Change "SavedSound" value to your desired directory.

Move Opera cache to "My Storage"
Here's a great little trick to free up some device storage from xsrx over on the Modaco forums.

Something not mentioned, but that I assume is a good idea: clear your old cache first. Open Opera, click the little arrow in the bottom right, go to History, click the trash can and affirm that you want to delete all. If you don't do this first, you'll need to delete stuff from your old cache folder at Application Data\Opera9\cache. Now...

• Close Opera.
• Create a folder on your storage card where the cache files will go. I chose \Storage Card\Program Files\Opera\cache4, but I don't think the folder structure or folder name matter.
• Open \Application Data\Opera\opera.ini in a text editor. [note: this directory was "opera9" not "opera" on my phone; "opera" is just help and skins]
  
• In the [User Prefs] section, add the following line: Cache Directory4=[full path to folder on storage card].
• Save and close opera.ini.
• Restart Opera. Your cache is now being written to your storage card.

Change your download directory:

1. Edit the Opera.ini file
2. Under [User Prefs] change "Download Directory=\My Documents\" to another directory on your device or storage card

More useful space saving techniques (move your default download directory, move your help files, etc...) for Opera Mobile can be found at this post from Download Squad.

====================

THE LIST

====================
(non-free programs are marked with an asterisk)
(things that I use are bold and red)

Back Up and Sync

• Birdie Sync (for Thunderbird - WinXP only)
• Finch Sync (for Thunderbird - Windows, Mac, Linux --it's Java!)
• Gsync (sync your Google Calendar with your phone)
• Sprite Backup *
• NuevaSync.com (sync your Google Calendars with your phone calendar -no software to install, works with ActiveSync and your NuevaSync.com online account)
• OutSync (sync your Facebook friends' profile pics with your contacts)
• Windows Live (like a second Exchange Server that only works with Windows Live, should be included with WinMo, but can be downloaded to phone if not)
• Windows Live Mail (Microsoft mail program that installs on your computer to syncs with Hotmail, Windows Live (on your phone), etc...)
  

Control Your Phone With Your PC

• My Mobiler (this can be used over USB or WiFi)
  

Maps and GeoSearch

• Google Maps
• Windows Live Search (preferred)
  

Other Utilities

• PocketRAR (official WinRAR for mobiles)
• Softkey Manager from Fantastic Bytes (change your softkeys to whatever you like)
• Softkey Control Panel applet (reassign softkeys)
  
• Audio Notes Touch * (mp3 recorder with touch friendly interface)
• Total Commander (the registry editor and file explorer I use)
• A List of Various other registry editors
• Total Commander (the registry editor I use)
• Update .Net Framework from 2.0 to 3.5
• iDialer (a full screen dial pad that makes it easier to actually dial a phone number; will work in conjunction with iContacts and I believe thumbCal... I don't use it much now that I've got PocketCM, but I've left it installed [update: I now use Green Button to map to iDialer, so when I just want to dial a number it's easy)
• PocketShield (screen lock)
• CeRegEditor (reg editor that functions from your computer so it's easier than trying to use on your device... ONLY functions as a RegEdit prog, as opposed to something like Total Commander which can edit and move ANY type of file)
  

Shell Replacement, Skins and Interfaces (get a whole new look, feel and functionality)

• SPB Mobile Shell * (unless you snag it via Torrent, you'll be paying for the shell, apps and plugins)
• iFonz (download from softpedia)
  
• configure iFonz theme (an easy way to switch icons and background without having to use the program interface)
• Throttle Launcher *
  
• Winterface *
• Manila 2D (TouchFlo)
  
• Manila 3D (TouchFlo 3D)
• iLauncher *
  

Media Players

• S2p
  

Misc. Fun Stuff

• Remove/Replace Verizon Boot Video, Image and Sound
  

Forums

• XDA Developers
• Howard Forums
• PPC Geeks
• PPCSG
• The Modaco "Favorite Hacks" thread (registry edits in a cab file --great idea)
  

Download Sites (apps)

• Softpedia
• Freeware for Pocket PC

Other Links

• Samsung SCH-i910 official support and download page
• Make your phone more like the iPhone (from Lifehacker)
• Lifehacker's "best" free mobile apps list
• Knguyentu (probably the most comprehensive Omnia blogpost I've seen to date)
• MySamsungOmnia (another blog)
  

Thing That Don't Work for Omnia Yet

• Dashwire (back up to the cloud --doesn't support Omnia i900 or i910)
  
• Skyfire (mobile browser --doesn't support Omnia's 240x400 resolution) [03-02-09 update: now reported working --thanks, Greg]
  

*denotes pay (not free) app/service

====================
MY PHONE
(what I've installed, removed, and how I'm currently set up)
====================

1. Set phone to "wake" only with power button (not face buttons or screen) settings> buttons> wake up tab> "power button only" > uncheck lock device. This prevents pocket dialing. Also, the power button is a great "soft" off. This means I don't need to use any "lock/unlock" apps. After 30 seconds of non-use the screen goes black and I "wake" it with the power button. When I'm done using the phone I turn off the screen with the power button.
   
2. Installed Total Commander (file explorer/registry editor)
   
3. Installed MyMobiler (control phone with PC)
   
4. Altered registry to use Today Screen 2
5. Resized vertical scroll bar width to 18
6. Altered "Start Menu" drop down choices (settings>menus) to include most often used programs (easiest immediate access)
   
7. Used Theme Changer to choose grey as background color
8. Altered registry to use older default dialer (saves space, better interface)
9. Altered registry to prevent keyboard pop-up for Email and Messaging
10. Installed iDialer (much bigger dial pad, easier to dial with)
    
11. Installed Windows Live Search (maps and geo search)
    
12. Installed Audio Notes Touch (mp3 recorder)
13. Installed Windows Daylight Savings 2008 update
    
14. Turned off auto-rotate (rotate with camera button now)
15. Added and changed ringtones and notification sounds
16. Installed .NET manager (netcfcfg.cab)
    
17. Installed 3.5 version of .NET (NETCFv35.wm.armv4i.cab)
    
18. Installed HTC emulation for accelerometer functionality (HTCEmu.zip > 2 DLL's installed in the Windows directory)
    
19. Installed Lightsaber 1.0 (sue me; I'm a geek)
20. Installed iFonz (don't know if I'll use it, but it's nice having another "look" available) [removed - Today Screen 2 is good for me]
    
21. Removed Shozu from registry (frees up 400k)
22. Installed Softkey Control Panel applet (v1.4) to remap softkeys [02/18/09 changed "contacts" to "my peeps" and mapped it to PocketCM]
    
23. Installed mobile Flash 7 player
24. Reassigned "menu" key (upper right) to Task Manager
25. Set up phone calendar to sync with my Google Calendars using NuevaSync.com
26. [2-12-09] Installed Zumobi/REI snow report app (made for 240x360, so has major problems on Omnia's 240x400) [removed - didn't work]
    
27. [2-12-09] Installed PocketMax Spacer cab for Today screen [removed - doesn't work with Samsung Today, can't configure for Today Screen 2 (greyed out)]
28. Installed PocketCM (contact manager) and Dark Diamond II theme (I like this MUCH more than the iContacts app, it's much more robust --can't wait to try out this guy's keyboard replacement app) See my PocketCM review post here.
    
29. Installed Green Button to remap "call" hardware key to PocketCM
30. [2-27-09] Installed PocketCM Keyboard and wm7 inspired qvga (0.3) skin
31. [2-28-09] Changed Green Button to link to iDialer (since my soft key already goes to PocketCM)
32. [2-28-09] Moved ringtones to My Storage. Changed Ringer On, Ringer Off, Phone On, and Phone Off notification sounds.
33. [3-9-09] Installed SIPchange to set PocketCM Keyboard as default (not totally convinced about PocketCM Keyboard --pretty buggy-- but I'm giving this a shot anyway).
34. [3-12-09] Moved Opera Mobile cache to My Storage.
35. [3-12-09] Moved default download directory to My Storage.
36. [3-13-09] Added SP2 media player... so far I don't like it.
37. [3-31-09] Phone is hosed. Verizon replaced it.
38. [3-31-09] Installed CeRegEditor.