Pocket PC: A Mobile Multimedia Entertainment

Many might heard about the advantages of mp3 songs. Pocket PC really an ultimate mobile Multimedia Entertainment for some people who want to listen to mp3 and watch movie via internet streaming, but the disadvantages of HP iPaq is iPAQ is that it doesn’t have a radio transmitter and allow us to watch a broadcasted television. I hope to see a mobile device covers all ranges of multimedia entertainment including streaming movie in future.



Windows Media

I play my mp3 music and wma video using Windows Media in Pocket PC. This program can play the normal mp3 songs and converted wma video. Normally I convert a movie or a series into a small size so that I can view it on the pocket pc. There is many software you can install to convert some video files such as mpeg, dvix or real player to wma pocket pc size. The reason to convert the video to small pocket pc size is to enable a longer movie can be put in a small memory card. Indeed, the movie is not copied into the hardware memory but rather to the external card because of the limited capacity of the hardware memory.



The larger capacity of the external card such as MMC or SD card the longer duration movie can be put in. Today, there are many large capacity memory card that cost cheaper. Today, one can buy a 1 gigabytes memory card for less than RM500 depends to the speeds which it’s exceed the capacity of an ordinary CD disc. Still, the ratio of cost compares to CD disc and SD and MMC card is far greater as CD is in size which the MMC/SD card is far smaller to be put in a mobile devices.



Real Player One

Real Player enables a real media files to be played. It not really differences compares to Windows Media Player as both of them are music and video player, and the most famous format for internet media entertainment. The difference is in the format of the media. Real Player format can really make smaller files with better quality but not really stable when it plays in the mobile devices. Windows Media player format using much bigger files size but the advantages is that its more stable when play it in Pocket PC.



Still, Real One Player does seem have its advantages of able to install on others mobile devices such as operation system running on palm one also called OS. Most of the older PDA runs on this OS system and Real One Player that allows the internet streaming media to be played on mobile phone and palm. So, I think that Real Player one is kind outdated and maybe need to be updated so that it can compete with Windows Media Player.

iPAQ Mobile Media

iPaQ Mobile Media enable the users to listen and copy music that located in the computer. First I think it use the streaming technology as same as the internet but I was wrong, because it actually copy the media first to the mobile devices and plays it directly. Although this sounds familiar as the streaming technology that was used in the internet, but it is rather different from the program that we use in the computer. The mobile media enable the users to copy directly a shared music from the server (mostly the pc in home) and fetch it to play in the media. Users can directly look at the list of the shared music and copy the one that they want to listen accordingly to the singer, albums and song genre.



Mobile media are also works as a remote control for the computer play certain music or video. Still it is not well developed yet as it only allows users to choose songs to be played on the computer using the mobile devices remote control but cannot runs on full screens when playing movie. It’s run on wireless technology as same as the infrared remote control on our television sets.

Pocket TV and Beta Player

Pocket TV enable some mpeg files to be play in Pocket PC depends to the capacity of your external MMC/SD card. Beta Player allows some dvix files to be played on the mobile devices. Dvix format is the new video compression format that widely use in file sharing community because of its ability to compress a high quality video to 1/5 of the real amount it need to be in DVD player.



Dvix is the smallest and the best compression format that available. It does also can be played on a certain DVD player that has a dvix compression format to connect to our video sets in living room.



These are some part of the things that I can do with my iPAQ mobile media devices. There are so many things that you can do with it. On the next post I will explain how this devices can help you on your studies.

Pocket PC: What can you do with it?

I have been using my HP iPAQ rx3400 pocket pc for more than 6 month. I found that many things you can do with it beside the small size of it. One familiar feature of this pocket pc is that it have camera feature that allows you to take 1.2 mega pixel photo and small size video. The photo taken by this devices is not as good as the normal digital camera but it’s can be a life savers when you need to take your most precious moment when you forget to bring you camera. If you want to record any event or even when you lucky enough saw an UFO flying around you head, it might be a wise choice to activate the video camera option to record it. Maybe you can sell it for a higher price to news station around the world. Still, I doubt it that each of us has the luck.


So, what really is pocket pc? Wikipedia define pocket pc as

A Pocket PC is a handheld-sized computer that runs a specific version of the Windows CE operating system. It has many capabilities of modern desktop PCs. Currently there are thousands of applications for Pocket PC, many of which are Freeware. Some of these devices, running Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition, also include mobile phone features. Pocket PCs can also be used with many other add-ons like GPS receivers, barcode readers, and cameras.

Wikipedia: Pocket PC

Microsoft has its own definition that is

According to Microsoft, the Pocket PC is "a handheld device that enables users to store and retrieve e-mail, contacts, and appointments, play multimedia files, games, exchange text messages with MSN Messenger, browse the Web, and more."
Microsoft:Pocket PC (Link not available and quote was taken from wikipedia: Pocket PC)

Nevertheless, if you want to know more about Windows Mobile, you can click to link below:

Microsoft: Windows Mobile
Wikipedia: Windows Mobile

I would not think of lecturing all about the definition of Pocket PC and Windows Mobile. The in-depth knowledge can be easily obtained in the internet following to the link I provided as well using the Google search engine. What I would like to do is to share my experience of using this Pocket PC and the benefits that some people can receive upon investing on this small and high tech gadget.

When the first time I saw this iPAQ of my in the shops, I already knew the potential and the advantages in it. Still, I do confess that at the moment that I cannot fully utilized all the advantages in this as my job and work as not as demand as the first time I need it. So, I am looking forward to experience more of the advantages of this little gadget.

Time and Appointment Management

My experience as a universities student make me realized that time management is important. Life as one of a active student in one of major projects need a high demand in your time and if you didn’t plan you time in advance, the effect is that you will lose the track of time and nothing work as you please. Time management is the most important thing to do for student. Many work and assignment need to be done with in the short term of studying time. So, the advantages of having a well planned time on your small and convenience pocket pc time organizer is that you can have a brief look on your appointment and task for that period of time.



Therefore, you also can view your time appointment for a week period, month and whole year.


Week Period Task

Month Period Task

Year Period Task

This task scheduling can be synchronized to your computer Microsoft Outlook 2003. There will not be any repetition key in for any appointment that you key in. The synchronization can be done via the cable or via wireless (in condition that your computer also has a wireless connection). This is also an extra feature that not all the devices have. Some of the devices do have a wireless connection but some do have. So, the latest recommendation for any future PDA owner is that wireless connection is important to connect your computer to able the users to transfer a huge size of data especially photos and videos that was being taken. To synchronize your Pocket PC with the computer, ActiveSync is used. A live synchronization is also can be done while the connection is online.



So, working out your time management with your Pocket PC gadgets really is a next step on time management planning. Many not yet wonders the benefits and the advantages of this small technologies as most of them said that it’s too expensive. Price is the main problem to obtain and experience technologies in Malaysia. I predict that the price of latest technologies is in its lowest point and we will not experiencing any dropping of prices on any mobile gadgets such as hand phone, digital camera and PDA especially.

In the next post, I will writes about my experience on Pocket PC PDA as a entertainment gadgets, where you can utilizes to listen mp3 songs, watching clips using wma and real player formats and lots more.

Blog: An Introduction

Blog, know before as web log is mainstreams of today internet technology. Wikipedia define the birth of blog as

The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger in December 1997. The shorter version, "blog", was coined by Peter Merholz, who, in April or May of 1999, broke the word weblog into the phrase "we blog" in the sidebar of his weblog. This was interpreted as a short form of the noun and also as a verb to blog, meaning "to edit one's weblog or a post to one's weblog". Usage spread during 1999, with the word being further popularized by the near-simultaneous arrival of the first hosted weblog tools: Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan's company Pyra Labs launched Blogger (which was purchased by Google in February 2003) and Paul Kedrosky's GrokSoup. As of March 2003, the Oxford English Dictionary included the terms weblog, weblogging and weblogger in their dictionary.

Wikipedia: Blog

There are many resources about blog in internet. Just open Google search and type “definition blog”, click the search and then it will automatically link you to the right site. Internet changes the lifestyle of today community. I find internet as a very important tools for information searching and interacting with other people. One of the most significant revolutions in internet technology is blog.

Blog is really growing in Malaysia. Once there are only handful bloggers in Malaysia. There are some ideas of gathering all of them but it took many more years before anyone really spent time to do it. The first official portal of Malaysia web log is Project Petaling Streets. Azzanudin Danian the creator of this portal writes in his blog

Project Petaling Street (henceforth known as PPS) is a "blogtal" : a blog portal. In itself, it isn't a blog, but it acts as a portal that aggregates (i.e. mengumpulkan or brings together) the freshest and latest content from a cross-section of Malaysian made, Malaysian maintained blogs.

Volume of Interactions: Launching Project Petaling Streets
Project Petaling Streets: Home

Since that, Malaysian blogger grow day by day. The most famous blog is Jeff Ooi of Screenshots, Kenny Sia of Kennysia, Claire Koo of Minishorts and Peter Tan of The Digital Awakening. There are still more interesting blog that you might discover if you keep visiting the Project Petaling Streets portal. Jeff Ooi writes about news critique and some political review. Kenny Sia tells more about jokes and life. Claire Koo writes what she wants to write especially about her life and express her feelings. Peter Tan, writes blog in the way of Christianity and actually a disable activist lobbying for disable facilities around the city.

Screenshots: Jeff Ooi
Kennysia: Kenny Sia
Clare Koo: Minishorts
Paul Tan: The Digital Awakening

There are other interesting blog to read such as Jesus by Celestine, and he write blog in the Christian perspective. Simply just go to Malaysia Roman Catholic Blogger Network and there are some links to starts and discover more link. I have seen some more Christian blog and unfortunately I forget the address.

Celestine: Jesus!
Malaysia Roman Catholic Blogger Network

My others daily blog link is

Alicia: Applegal's Diary in her Cubbyhole
Sabahan girl study Law in Malaya University for her second year. She write about her study and life in KL, holidays trips and city people and life style.

Michael Ooi: Heavenly’s Blog
Nasty guys write a nasty post in his blog. I think it his way to release all the tension that he felt during work. Once time I pissed him off and he feature a post about me and it’s my first hate blog. I get irritated for a while and get over it instantly.

Huai Bin: Sixseal
A successful computer engineer and a breathing and standing drug test rat lab that test the entire cigarette, alcohols, pills and some other things you never thought off. Still he writes a good review about interesting food restaurant especially in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur.

Michelle: Oey!
I found out this writer is the daughter of my secondary school teacher. Local sabahan writes critique about Kenny Sia and other blogger and recently about her feelings cause she just broke up with her lovely

Get in touch while you are far away.

Problem: I'm just move to a new and have problem to get in touch with all my friends. I don't want to spend so much money.

Option Solution:
1. Use the phone and rang them if you free using the ring ring card or i talk. Its quite cheaper than using your mobile phone and ended up your total balance declined in a huge rates. *regrets*
2. Write letter (if you think it not outdated) or write an e-mail once a day.
3. SMS (Short Text Message) each others in the convenience of you bedroom or maybe your living room or sacrifices the comfort and sit in front the computer and chat using yahoo messenger, ICQ, MSN or IRC. (Watch out for the bill if you use dialup better apply for Streamyx)
4. Plug a headphone and microphone to you computer and don't bother to pressing the keyboard. Still comfortable level is low. You might as well plug a webcam to your computer and you can talk to each others face to face.
5. Get a 3G or GPRS hand phone and pay the expensive phone bill but you will get the satisfaction, comfort and lifestyle.

This are some (might have more) option for you to get in touch with friends with some help of computer technology. Some of the option doesn't need us to spend too much money to it. Still it not really considers cheap thou.

Most of people will choose option 4 because it is the cheapest (rate/time) way to communicating and keep in touch with your friends. First you can communicate with your friends just like a phone voice via internet provider or audio/video transfer. Still there is a disadvantage because voice and video took a huge chunk of data to be send and users might have a problem of the delay conversation. To overcome the problem, both of the communicator needs to have a broadband connection such as Streamyx.

Here is information about the MSN Messenger's audio and video link via pc.

MSN Messenger Launches Voice and Full Screen Video Conversations
Link

Tips and Taps

This blog is dedicated to share my experience and thoughts about computer especially the internet and news about the technology and computer that within the field of my knowledge. It will not be a frequent post for me but i will email to you all if I got something to share.