Instead, get the functionality and play-time you want from a mobile device
Have you lost your cool after paying $300 for an Apple iPod MP3 player, only to realize later it is a single function device? The Apple iPod that you purchased plays MP3 files and stores pictures. You wanted it to do more, so did your wife. Droplets of sweat form on your brow when you see the Visa bill. Yes, you paid for this frustration. Thankfully, these pressure-filled situations can be avoided when you switch to a Windows mobile device.
What Windows mobile device?
This article explores how to get the most out of your portable mobile device. Did you know that any Pocket PC running the Windows mobile software suite will let you do much more than just listen to MP3 songs on an Apple iPod? With your Pocket PC you can enjoy Internet satellite radio, Internet radio streaming, TV streaming, pod casting, FM radio, tracking stocks and mutual funds, watching short weather reports and much more.
Satellite radio seamless access
Courtesy of Sirius and XM satellite, two satellite radio content providers, you can listen to commercial free music, popular talk shows, current news and entertainment on your Pocket PC. This is much easier, more convenient and less daunting than downloading 10,000 songs from high tunes on your iPod. Not to mention the cost factor involved with high tunes. If you have a limited music selection, you would have to pay a dollar for each MP3 file/song and I tunes. 10,000 MP3 songs would cost you $10,000. If spending $10,000 is not an issue for you, what about the time involved? Do you have the extra time to spare sitting in front of your Apple computer to drag and drop 10,000 MP3 files onto your iPod?
For only $12.95 a month you can access unlimited music from 130 channels from Xm and Sirius radio. You don't have to download anything other than a software program called pocket XM radio pro from e-book software. To get the Pocket PC version, you can go to pocket gear.com. The smart phone version is at www.smartphone.net. The pocket XM radio pro is a software application that will allow you to listen to radio shows and music from Sirius and XM satellite. I found the smart phone offered outstanding reception on a WiFi network as opposed to a cell phone network.
After installing the pocket XM radio pro on your Pocket PC, you'll be pleased with the reception on Sirius and XM satellite radio. What I love about listening to satellite radio music stations is that it is commercial free.
There is a free software application to enjoy satellite radio in a Pocket PC at www.emulamer.com. Please look for the CAB file and download that file to your Pocket PC. Don't think that if it's free, it must be poor quality. It’s quite the contrary. I found that there are no buffering delays at all. Your account with XM and Sirius lets you listen to satellite radio on your desktop computer. Unlike buying a satellite radio receiver from Xm and Sirius; with your Pocket PC or smart phone you will need to have an online live Internet connection.
High-Speed Internet Radio Streaming
Are you an avid book reader? If the answer is yes, you can listen to audio books on your Apple iPod. At audible.com, you can access the free software enabling you to transfer these audio books, magazines, and newspapers options to your media player mobile.
Here are some high-quality live radios streaming web sites that I found on the Internet for my Pocket PC:
· Resco pocket radio at www.resco.net. This program will support: wav, MP3, speex, OGG Vorbis and raf formats. From the $19.95, you can get an audio recorder to record yourself singing and talking.
· Pocket player at www.conduits.com. In order to listen to live stream radio broadcast from a great web site like shoutcast.com you will have to buy the pocket player for $19.95. The pocket PC supports the following formats: MP3, wma, flac and wav files. Pocket player also supports: skinnable screens, audio books, bookmarks, play lists, screen plug-ins, Blue tooth remote control and head phones.
Browse Music from Your WiFi Enabled Pocket PC
It's unrealistic to think that you will have access to the Internet 24 x 7. What if you are sitting outside in an outdoor garden café with no WiFi access? But you still won't listen to music on your Pocket PC. In order for this to work, you will need a WiFi enabled Pocket PC to connect to a WiFi enabled desktop PC. You'll need to visit this web site: www.rudeo.com. The rudeo play & control program is $19.95. The nice thing about downloading music right onto Pocket PC is that your songs stay on your Pocket PC. If you have a good battery life, you can listen to your songs on your Pocket PC without having to be connected to the Internet. First, you’ll need to go to www.wmcplayer.com and download Microsoft windows media connect. This will enable you to connect to a Wifi enabled pocket PC to your Wifi enabled desktop PC.
Want to Get More Out Of Multimedia Programs?
Your iPod MP3 player won't let you track stocks, mutual funds and TV financial reports. Also, you’re missing out on streaming TV shows, audio files and video files.
Pocket Stocks
Pocket Stocks is only $14.95 from www.handango.com. With this incredible application you can track your stocks and mutual fund portfolio. You can view financial quotations and charts as well. If you want to watch your wealth grow, you can do that easily on your Pocket PC.
PDA tuner pro
PDA tuner pro lets you watch a live TV show and listen to live music and radio from around the world. To learn more, please go to both web sites at: www.handango.com and pdatuner.com. The PDA tuner pro will sell you a registration key for $12 which gives you access to its web site from your Pocket PC or smart phone through Internet Explorer mobile. You can pay for a one-time registration fee to access PDA tuner.com from a portable device. The only shortcoming is that when you're watching a live TV on your PDA Pro it is like watching a jerky slide presentation.
X-Play Studio
X-Play Studio is only $26.96 from www.xronox.com. With your Pocket PC Windows media player, you can watch live high quality TV shows, record audio and video files. Watch your favorite comedy or sitcom. Have you considered tuning into the Blue-collar guy on your Pocket PC? Folks around you will be wondering if you've just inhaled some laughing gas as you'll be laughing your head off!
Streaming audio and video, pod casting from Your Pocket PC
If you own a camera equipped Windows mobile 5.0 Pocket PC; you can snap a picture and publish it immediately on a personal blogger weblog. Bring out the amateur photographer in you. You couldn’t take pictures, type in a title and a description of the photo on your Apple iPod player. You can with your camera enabled Windows mobile 5.0 device. Start to share your opinions, photos and thoughts on the Internet.
Splash Blog
Splash Blog is a software application that lets Windows mobile 5.0 users take photos and publish their thoughts on splash blog's web site. You just need to sign up for a free online full photo blog account / personal blog and download the free software from www.splashblog.com to start photo blogging. The following devices: Symbian UIQ, Palm OS, Pocket PC, Smart phone and Nokia 60 series lets you instantly publish photos on splash blog. Your free account lets you publish up to 500 photos of any size on the online photo album. If you have more forms to share you can always upgrade to the professional version at $29.95 where you can post an unlimited amount of photos on the online photo album.
How Do You Share Your Photos?
Use the Windows mobile 5.0 picture selection API to select thumbnails of images, which are stored on your Pocket PC storage card or internal drive, then click the picture you want to add to your photo blog. Splash blog is such a popular application that it cuts away many unnecessary steps in order to download a photo from your Pocket PC onto your personal weblog. Share the photos you've taken on your camera enabled Pocket PC device with the entire world. If you like, feel free to add a short title and text description to describe your photo.
FM Radio
If you like to listen to FM radio without running to a free WiFi hotspot, you can purchase an FM stereo tuner with a cf or sd card interface from www.ibizcorp.com/main.html, gomogear.com and c-guys.com. At C-guys.com, the FM plug-in comes with a stereo ear bud and software to install on your Windows mobile 2003 device. Unfortunately, if you have a new Windows mobile 5.0 device, the FM radio tuners won't work on your device. Please shop around and make sure your Pocket PC or smart phone is compatible with the FM radio plug-in.
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