Wooing with Windows Mobile |
| | Though not one for forced romance (translation: I’m not real big on Valentine’s Day), I am aware of the power of romance. Over the course of my 20+ year relationship, it’s galloped to the rescue on more than one occasion—missed anniversaries and birthdays graciously forgiven for the price of a box of chocolates. Better still, a single romantic overture has even mitigated my inevitable flaws and bad behaviors in the eyes of my better half. It’s hard to be mad when you’re in love.
Windows Mobile supports you, too, in your romantic endeavors. Whether you use messaging to communicate your love, alarms to remind you of anniversaries, or Live Search to find the perfect romantic restaurant, with Windows Mobile you can transform into a real Don (or is that Dawn?) Juan.
Following are just a few of the ways Windows Mobile can help work the romance. |
| Sending spontaneous love texts | Text messaging offers a modern twist to traditional love letters. Unlike the perfumed treacle of yore, modern love texts offer a simplicity and spontaneity that make them all the more eloquent. Their arrival at inappropriate times adds to the fun of texting, too. Imagine your husband’s reaction when he receives the message “Making your favorite dessert—hurry home” while he’s in a budget meeting—almost like playing footsie under the table. | Click Start > Messaging. Click Text Messages, and then press ENTER. Choose Menu >New, and then press ENTER. In the To field, press ENTER to access your Contacts list. Select your sweetie’s contact information, and press ENTER again. Use the DOWN ARROW to place the cursor in the text area, type your message, and then click Send.
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| Remembering anniversaries using alarms | Being there with flowers (or baseball tickets) at just the right time can substantially increase your appeal. With Windows Mobile and Calendar, you’ll never forget your anniversary again. Just use the Anniversary and Birthday fields for your loved one’s contact info, and Calendar will automatically remind you—in enough time to buy a little something.
To create anniversary and birthday alarms: | Click Start > Contacts. Select your mate’s name, and then click Menu > Edit. Scroll down to the Birthday or Anniversary field. Press ENTER to enable the feature, and then enter the appropriate date.
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| Tip: To create an alarm for a special day other than a birthday or anniversary, simply make an appointment directly in Calendar. See the Random gifting section in this article for instructions on how to create a Calendar appointment. |
| Planning a romantic dinner using Live Search | We all have to eat. And couples can fall into a mealtime routine—one cooks, one cleans; or maybe one orders and the other picks up. And some couples eat out almost every night. Whatever your habits, a surprise switch-up always makes for a pleasant evening. If you usually eat in, surprise your partner with a romantic dinner out. If you eat out all the time, prepare a candle-lit meal at home. What matters is that you take the initiative, make the decisions, and provide a great dining experience that your better half can sit back and enjoy.
Whatever your culinary need, Windows Mobile and Windows Live can help. Use Live Search to find the perfect restaurant, make reservations, and even get directions. Or, if you’ll be staying in, you can use Windows Mobile and Live Search to find a recipe and refer to it while shopping (or if you’re a really bad cook, maybe a high-end place that packs take out… just use the nice china). You’ll also want to use Live Search to order some flowers for the occasion.
To find the perfect restaurant: | Click Start > Windows Live and then, in the Search field, enter the type of restaurant you want, and then press ENTER. Hint: If you’ve already registered for Windows Live, a Live Search field appears automatically on the Home page. If you haven’t registered, you’ll need to click Set Location and enter your city so Live Search knows where you are. 
Scroll through the list of restaurants. You can view ratings, call for reservations, and get one-click directions.
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| To find the perfect recipe: | Click Start >Windows Live and, in the Search field, enter your spouse’s favorite entrée, appended with recipes, and then press ENTER. Scroll through the recipe list. To view a recipe in detail, highlight it, and then press ENTER. Once you find the recipe you want to prepare, click Favorites to add it to your favorites list. That way, when you’re at the store, you can quickly access the list of ingredients. Hint: If Favorites doesn’t appear on the screen, click the right soft key (where Menu usually appears) to display the buttons. 
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| Random gifting for a real surprise | Most folks expect flowers or other suitable gifts on the obvious days, like Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, and there’s nothing wrong with delivering on those expectations. But, if you’re looking to really impress your better half, send them something out of the blue. Pick a seemingly random day with special meaning just for you two. Almost anything can be marked with an anniversary—your first date, that afternoon spent snorkeling in Hawaii five years ago, or even the day you closed on your house.
Using Windows Mobile, Calendar, and Live Search, you can remind yourself of the special day, find the perfect gift, and surprise your spouse. Be as creative or extravagant as imagination and budget allow. While a diamond anniversary band is always welcome, a multimedia message with a special photo (or even a slide show) of your adventures as a couple can be just as romantic and a whole lot thriftier.
To create an Appointment in Calendar: | Click Start > Calendar. Click Week, click Month to change the display to month, and then scroll to the desired date. With the date highlighted, click Menu > New Appointment. Enter a Subject for the appointment, scroll down to the Reminder field, and then press ENTER. Select how long before the event you want to be reminded. Click Done twice. The appointment is added to your calendar.
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| With Windows Mobile and just a little bit of effort, you can bring more romance to your life. Beware though: The resulting intimacy may keep you up past your bedtime. |
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