Upgrade your Axim to WM2003SE with a Toshiba ROM?

Apparently someone made a post on the Dell forums stating that they upgraded their Axim X3i to Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition by using the Toshiba upgrade ROM. I did not get to see the post myself as it was quickly deleted by I cannot see this working myself. For one thing the wireless chipset in the dell unit is completely different. I am sure there are many other components that are different between the two units.



It *may* be possible to somehow decompress the ROM, insert the Dell specific software and the recompress the ROM. This would probably not work unless the files used to replace the software were from an X30 image (it runs WM2003SE). Needless to say this is a lot of work and would most likely end up leaving your handheld in a useless state. Some progress has been made in the area of X3i ROM flashing and it is possible to restore your ROM from a flash card even if the current ROM image is corrupt and also provided the boatloader does not get overwritten.



I have to admit, this has got my interest. I have even downloaded the Toshiba ROM and will no doubt be loading it up in a hex editor tomorrow...

Geek.com PDA Review: Dell Axim X30 High

geek.com has a great review of Dell's Axim X30 "High". Bottom line:

The Dell Axim X30 is a screaming machine, and I have to applaud Dell for being the first out of the gate with a device running WM2003 Second Edition that is extremely well priced. You really cannot complain about Pocket PC devices being out of a reasonable price range with the Low model starting at only $199 and when for $150 more you get dual wireless, double the processor speed, and double the memory capacity. The X30 High is a winner, and should do quite well in today's market while requiring HP to think about its pricing scheme.

Kind of makes me wish I didn't buy the X3i, landscape orientation looks so sweet!





The full review can be found here: Geek.com PDA Review: Dell Axim X30 High

Mydoom.M

Well Mydoom.M (as F-Secure calls it) got into our network at work today. Panic ensued only to have us come back to reality and realize it was not as bad as we thought. I believe Google's quick response helped greatly. The virus obtained the infected computers email address(es) and proceeded to search google with the domain name. With the results of the Google search, the virus then spread to all of the email addresses it found.. Pretty ingenious if you ask me but harmfully none the less. The virus also enables a backdoor on port 1034/TCP. Thank god for firewalls..

New site

I've been hard at work on a new site which I hope to launch shortly. The weather this week was just too great to miss so I'm a little behind track. If you're bored check out my employers site: Barrett Corporation. I'm off to the lake, more updates soon!

Dell Announces Bluetooth GPS and Keyboard

Been busy but there is some cool news from Dell:

PRESS RELEASE:

---------------------

ROUND ROCK, Texas, July 21, 2004— Dell today introduced two new accessories for the Dell Axim™ X30 handheld computer that help customers stay on course and in contact - the Dell GPS navigation system ($249) and the Dell executive keyboard ($99), both with Bluetooth® wireless technology.



Using the Axim X30 equipped with integrated Bluetooth, delivery drivers, road warriors, commuters and students can take advantage of the easy wireless connectivity to find the quickest routes, remain productive and stay in touch.



The Dell GPS system easily transforms the Dell handheld into a wireless navigation system with voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions and graphic instructions. Featuring NAVTEQ maps of North America, the Dell GPS navigation system also describes one-way streets, turn restrictions and speed limits as well as convenient points of interest such as area ATMs, gas stations, parking facilities and restaurants.



The Dell Axim executive keyboard is a full-size QWERTY keyboard and is optimized for serious use of text-based applications such as taking notes or answering e-mail while connected to a WiFi network. When not in use, the portable keyboard folds into a compact package about the size of a passport wallet. The innovative Stowaway™ keyboard also comes with a detachable stand to hold the Axim X30, allowing either landscape or portrait orientation.

First Pocket PC Virus Surfaces

BitDefender AntiVirus - Data Security, AntiVirus Software, Free Protection claims to have been provided the very first virus on the Windows CE platform for evaluation. The virus, called WinCE.Dust.A by the security firm, infects all the PE (ARM executable) files stored in the root directory of the device. It then asks the user:

Dear User, am I allowed to spread?

The virus has not been released into the wild and was created as a "proof of concept" - that virii and malicious programs can be created for Pocket PC systems. The creators also authored the Cabis virus for the Symbian OS.



At this point Microsoft does not provide updates for Pocket PC - It is up to the OEM to provide updates to the end users. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Most likely many anti virus/firewall/etc programs will start to crop up in the near future.

null

Work on my site is coming along slowly - I haven't had much time to devote to it lately. Another rainy day, I think we have had maybe 5 days above 80 degrees this summer. Hopefully the good weather will come towards the end of summer..



I see blogger now has a new interface that features a WYGIWYS interface. It has support for colors, fonts, etc.. all the usual formatting options an editor would have. I just wish they would incorporate Gmail's spell checker...

Windows XP SP2 RC2

I installed Windows XP SP2 RC2 on one of my computers today. Basically all I can see is that it is one huge security update. It also includes 'Security Center' which gives users quick access to existing security features such as the Windows XP Firewall and turning Automatic updates on and off. The security center also has a Virus Protection section which somehow can manage various different anti virus programs. I also noticed was a wireless network configuration wizard. I haven't had much time to play with it yet but from what I can see there isn't much of interest to the power user. The security enhancements are defiantly good for the average user who knows nothing of firewalls and windows update.

Boredom

Got bored so I am searching for some images to spruce this place up a bit. I have found three so far but I only really like one of them (the Pocket Pc one) so I am still on the hunt. If anyone is interested on how I get them to appear in my posts leave a comment. It's a pretty crude template hack right now but I haven't thought of another way to do it yet. BTW, all the images are from stock.xchng. I should be working on my site but I don't seem to have the ambition this week...

2004 Software Pocket PC Awards

Time is running out for the fourth annual Pocket PC Best Software Awards. All new software / revisions released before July 31st are eligible. The time line is as follows:

May – July:



Nominations determined



Judges Selected



Judges chose which categories they will vote



July 19-31: Nominations made public for discussion.



July 31:



Nominations closed



Last date a software version is eligible



Aug 1-7: Handango provides judges with download instructions



August: Judges evaluate, comment and vote



September 20: Finalists announced



October 26: Winners announced at the San Francisco, CTIA conference, http://www.wirelessit.com, and at this Web site. Winners and finalists also announced at in the December/January Pocket PC magazine.

The 2003 winners are available at the link above, best of luck to all of the contestants!

Slow Day

I setup Digital Points new ad sharing system here today. I have yet to setup any ads of my own but plan to do so very soon. I expect the results of this ad network to be very good as this system should draw a lot of webmasters and best of all it is free!



A new template for my blog is in the works which will match my main site (www.wgcsoft.ca). I hope to have both up tomorrow provided I have enough time to complete them.



Check out this great Online Color Schemer. It works very well for finding 'harmonious' colors. Read their tutorial here to find out how this tool can help you discoverer color schemes to use when designing web sites.



My Gmail account is still working great, 75 messages and only using 1% of my quota! It is one of the best web based interfaces I have used. 100% of my personal email is now going to this account.. Definitely a great product.

free banner exchange program

A free banner exchange program for vBulletin 3.x, Movable Type, Blogger, PHP, and ASP users has been created by Digital Point Solutions. This is a very interesting program with an endless amount of potential. The ad network is by far the best free banner exchange program I have come across. Some info from the FAQ:

What is this?

The ad network is a network of site owners that offer ad space to the network. In return, the ads they define are displayed across the entire network.



How much does this cost?

100% free.



What types of ads can be served?

Currently the system can serve 468x60 graphic banners, 468x60 text based banners or a simple text based ad. For the text banners, you can control the background color of the banner.



Are there any unacceptable ads?

Gambling, adult, political and pharmaceutical related ads will not be accepted for the ad network. All ads are reviewed before they become live on the network.

You can signup by clicking here and begin serving free banner ads right away! This is just one of many free web tools provided by Digital Point. You can check out the rest of these tools here: Digital Point Solutions Free Web Tools.

New Web Host

Well I finally got around to switching from my free host to Dathorn. I wanted to have everything in order before I launched my site to avoid any possible issues with search engines. My DNS seems to have propagated.. so far so good.