Brighten up your holiday with Windows Mobile 6.1! |
| | The holidays present the perfect opportunity to reach out to family, friends, and colleagues by using Windows Mobile 6.1 communication features—text messaging, multimedia messaging, and good ole e-mail. In this article, I’ll introduce each technology and offer some examples of how to use them to spread your holiday cheer!
Note: Although most Windows Mobile phones work pretty much the same, be sure to check your phone’s user guide for device-specific details |
| The basic messaging methods |
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 Click the message format of choice. |
| Text messaging is the common term for Short Message Service, or SMS. SMS lets you send text messages up to 160 characters (including spaces). Limited to simple text, SMS is the most commonly used messaging protocol. Texting is best suited to on-the-fly, quick communications. First embraced by nimble-thumbed teenagers, text messaging is gaining popularity with all mobile users. |
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 Send a picture with MMS. |
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) | Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is an extension of SMS. It lets you send messages that contain media content such as images, sounds, rich text, and even video. Used most often to send pictures taken with a phone’s built-in camera, MMS also supports longer messages and use of templates. MMS takes messaging to the next level, providing more content-rich and entertaining communications. |
| | Electronic mail is familiar to most everyone. The original communication medium of the computer age, e-mail first appeared in 1965 among the true geek set—it took another 25 years to enter homes as part of the Internet revolution. Recently, e-mail made the jump from computer systems to mobile devices. Unlike MMS, e-mail is not perfectly tailored for display on mobile devices. |
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Holiday-focused tips and tricks |
| Now that we’ve reviewed the basic messaging types, the challenge is to find creative ways to use them to connect with others this holiday season. Let’s explore what Windows Mobile and a phone can add to your holiday experience.
(Given the above-mentioned familiarity with e-mail, I’ll stick to SMS and MMS messaging ideas. Also, because many of you know the basics of texting, I’m going to skip the details of creating and sending messages. To see detailed steps, follow the links above, or refer to your phone documentation.) |
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| Just like decorating your house, adding festive images and sounds to your mobile phone helps get you in the holiday spirit. Having the images handy also makes it much easier to spread the joy! Spend a few minutes loading your phone with content—then, when inspiration hits, you can instantly act on it. |
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 Copy holiday photos for quick use. |
Depending on where the images are, you can sync, use Bluetooth, or simply message them to your phone. Then set them as your Home screen background and include them in messages and e-mails to family and friends. |
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 Use a festive photo for the Home screen. |
Add images, audio, and other media content | Add content to your phone using one of the following methods: |
| Use the phone’s built-in functionality—create content. Snap a few pics (including one of you to tag your contact info with), record a short video clip, and make a voice recording. Refer to your phone’s documentation for detailed instructions.
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 Record a short video. |  Record audio and snap some pics. |
Transfer existing media files—connect the phone directly to a computer to transfer existing media files. Before you can transfer files, you’ll need to install ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center, depending on your system, onto your desktop computer (ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center is already installed on the phone). The installation disc is included with the phone.
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 Use Explore within ActiveSync to transfer images from your PC by dragging files. |
Customize the Home screen image | On the Home screen, click Start > Settings > Home screen. Click Background image, and select the desired image from the list that appears. Click Done, and then return to the Home screen to view the image.
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 Click Start > Settings > Home screen. |
Hint: If you assign the Home screen image by using Start > Pictures and Videos, you can specify the exact part of the image to use. You can also rotate, crop, and auto correct an image in the Edit mode. |
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| Holidays mean travel. By plane, train, or automobile, we conquer vast (and not so vast) distances to gather with family and friends. Windows Mobile is perfectly suited to sharing your travels as you experience them. |
| Travelogue texting | If someone else is doing the flying or driving, you can pass the time and build anticipation for your arrival using simple SMS texting. Quiet and private, text messaging won’t annoy your fellow travelers like a phone conversation, and you can be as naughty or nice as you want.
Take it even further and customize the predefined text strings (included on the phone) with seasonal well wishes. You can send family members one message and business colleagues another. Predefined text is perfect for dealing with the whole Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza conundrum.
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| Customize predefined text strings | On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging > Text Message. Click Menu > New. Scroll down to the message area, and then click Menu > My Text. Click Menu > Edit My Text. Scroll to the predefined text you want to customize, make your changes, and then click Done.
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 Customize the predefined text with holiday messages. |
Mobile Media Messaging | Move beyond simple text messages with MMS messages. You can take pictures and video along the way and either send them as you snap them—a real-time log of your journey, or share the whole route with a slide show sent just before your arrival. (You could also use an application like Viigo to map your journey.) |
| | Don’t overlook voice recordings as you chronicle history. Slyly capturing the inevitable fight between siblings or the discussion over directions between mom and dad can make for amusing moments later (sometimes much later). |
| Create voice notes | On the Home screen, click Start > Office > Voice Notes. Hold the phone’s microphone near the audio source. Click Record. Click Stop to stop recording a voice note.
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| The same theme of sharing applies to holiday parties. Snap an image, and send it to someone across the room. Or snap a whole evening’s worth of images and sounds and send a MMS slide show to everyone the next day.
Hint: The close proximity of other mobile devices presents a perfect opportunity to use your phone’s Bluetooth and beam capabilities. Be sure to turn off Bluetooth when you’re not using it to preserve battery life.
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| Send an MMS message or slide show | On the Home screen, click Start > Messaging > MMS > New. In the template that appears, enter the recipient’s phone number or e-mail address in the To field, and then enter a line of text in the Subject field. Click Insert Picture/Video (or Insert Text or Insert Audio) to select a photo or video clip. Choose the media file from the list that appears, and then click Select. Repeat step 3 to insert all your images and text. Click Menu > Preview Message (option 9). Click Back, and then click Send.
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Add some 21st-century flair to your holiday celebrations this year with messaging. Windows Mobile 6.1 makes creating content rich communications fast and intuitive. Use them to make this holiday season a bit more special for everyone in your life. |
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