WinInsider

Microsoft says it may have come up with a "killer application" for devices that run its Pocket PC Phone Edition operating system software, and on Wednesday announced a new server product that could allow developers to prove that right. At the DemoMobile show taking place this week in La Jolla, Calif., the company will be demonstrating the Microsoft Enterprise Location Server, server software that allows enterprise customers to build applications for mobile devices that make use of location-based services. Customers that purchase Microsoft's server are expected to be able to build applications that let Pocket PC Phone Edition devices get maps that identify where the user is at any given time, where other users are, and nearby points of interest.

Microsoft Corp. this week will enter the wireless networking hardware business with a series of new products aimed at small businesses and consumers. The products include wireless Ethernet ports as well as notebook and PCI adapters, according to sources close to the Redmond, Wash., company, who said that there wasn't much to differentiate the products from existing networking products except the Microsoft name and Microsoft's role in simplifying wireless security configuration.

Industry observers already are assuming that the hardware line is an avenue to sell the company's MSN Broadband services. Several high-speed Internet providers currently offer wireless hardware in their service packages, most often through partnerships with wireless LAN equipment manufacturer Linksys Group Inc.

Microsoft and AT&T Wireless on Wednesday will show off a new service that will let businesses use cell phones to track the location of workers on the road, such as taxi drivers or express couriers, and more efficiently route them to customers. At the DEMOmobile 2002 conference in La Jolla, Calif., Microsoft will demonstrate new server software, tentatively called the Microsoft Enterprise Location Server, that connects Microsoft .Net software services with AT&T Wireless' next-generation network.

It is the first product developed by the two technology giants since they formed an alliance in July. The partnership spans three areas: getting Microsoft software onto new devices, simplifying access to corporate information over wireless devices and enabling location-based services.

Microsoft is working with chip designer ARM to increase the number of chip manufacturers tuning their products for Windows CE .Net as the software giant tries to move deeper into handhelds and cell phones. Motorola, one of the world's largest manufacturers of cell phone chips, along with STMicroelectronics and NeoMagic, for instance, have pledged to develop processors tuned for Windows CE as a result of the cooperation between Microsoft and ARM. Texas Instruments, Intel, Samsung and Hynix already produce processors for Windows CE.

The strategy is intended to make it easier for consumer electronics manufacturers to use some version of Microsoft's embedded operating system, said Scott Horn, director of marketing in the embedded platforms group at Microsoft.

Wednesday, Microsoft announced a strategic alliance with Brightmail, the world-wide leader in anti-spam technology, to protect Microsoft's 110 million MSN Hotmail users from the rampant spam that has plagued the service for months. The companies say that Brightmail's server-based anti-spam technologies will be fully deployed within several weeks.

Under terms of the agreement, Brightmail's Solution Suite will filter spam at Hotmail's gateway, allowing the service to remove unwanted email before it ever hits users' inboxes. Brightmail uses patented technology to automatically identify and eliminate spam, the company says. Whatever it is, the technology will surely be a better solution than Hotmail's current anti-spam solution, which appears to have absolutely no effect on the amount of junk mail received by most Hotmail users.

At their first ever Executive Summit Wednesday, Microsoft and embedded microprocessor maker ARM announced that three new silicon makers, Motorola, STMicroelectronics and NeoMagic., will develop products optimized for Microsoft Windows CE .NET. The companies will make Pocket PCs and other mobile devices based on Windows CE .NET, and running on the ARM architecture, which is widely considered to be one of the most efficient and speedy embedded processors currently available. The announcement gives Microsoft three major chipmakers--Intel, Texas Instruments, and now ARM--supporting its CE .NET offerings.

There are no speed limits on the Information Superhighway--at least not for Microsoft's MSN CarPoint service. Microsoft is in the process of overhauling the online automotive research site in conjunction with next month's expected launch of MSN 8. CarPoint will offer new "ownership services" for helping consumers better maintain their vehicles. Microsoft also will put increased emphasis on consumers who share vehicle information and experiences via chat and instant messaging. Executives view the changes as an important next step for solidifying CarPoint, which turned its first profit in fiscal 2002 after more than seven years of operation. CNET News.com spoke with MSN CarPoint CEO Ryan Hamlin about the upcoming changes and car buying on the Internet.

LookSmart, a provider of commercial and directory listings, said Monday that it signed deals with Microsoft's online portal MSN and AltaVista, which will both carry its search results. Under one deal, San Francisco-based LookSmart extended its contract with MSN to distribute directory and small business listings on the Web network through Dec. 3, 2003. The deal replaces an earlier five-year contract between the two companies from 1999, in which Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft licensed only directory listings from LookSmart. Separately, the company said AltaVista renewed its contract to display LookSmart directory search results through August 2003.

Microsoft this week plans to move one step closer to launching MSN 8, a major overhaul of its online service that for the first time will charge people who use an alternate Internet service provider. The company expects to release the second testing version to preselected testers as early as Tuesday. MSN 8 Beta 2, which is feature complete, sports new parental controls and e-mail spam filtering, among other features.

The software giant has yet to announce a release date for the finished product or pricing for non-Microsoft ISP users, although MSN product manager Lisa Gurry said it plans to charge less than rival America Online's $14.95 for "Bring Your Own Access" service. She added that Microsoft does not plan to raise current dial-up or broadband MSN monthly rates.

Thanks to WMLAH.com for this link.

For a feature by feature comparison and pricing see our At A Glance listing on the Web (www.PocketPCmag.com/BG2003/ataglance.asp). Complete reviews of most of these devices can be found on Pocket PC magazine's Web site (www.PocketPCmag.com/reviews.asp).
The Pocket PC 2002
The Pocket PC is a small pen-entry device that you can easily hold in one hand. Pocket PCs vary slightly in size and weight, but all are approximately 5 x 3 x 0.7 in (12.7 x 7.6 x 1.8 cm) and weigh 5-8 oz (142-227 gm).