A touch screen with "texture" so you can "feel" each icon

Imagine if you could "feel" each icon on your smartphone screen. You'll be impressed by the technology that's currently in the pipeline. Will this type of technology improve on-screen typing? What if you could "feel" each key on that on-screen keyboard?

Here's a video showing that Nokia has developed a prototype of its N900 smartphone that lets you feel the texture of icons on the screen – a technology that would add a whole new dimension to touchscreen apps.

Easily switching phones on Verizon with *228 option 3

I was driving to work the other day and I realized that I left my smartphone (an HTC Touch Pro2) at home. I used to live 3 minutes away, but now that I've recently moved, I now live about 8 minutes away. Well, no worries. I had an old phone in my car (that I now use as a standalone GPS unit) so I pulled out my old XV6900 (AKA, HTC Vogue or Touch) and hit *228 option 3. Within a minute, I was up and running on my old smartphone. I saved myself a trip back home and I was still able to make all my calls using my old smartphone.

It's become so much easier to switch phones on Verizon thanks to *228 option 3. It's not as easy as pulling out a SIM card and moving it to another phone, but the *228 option 3 is very convenient. I no longer need to call customer service or switch ESNs through the internet.

If you use like switching phones for different occasions, remember *228 option 3. It's a free call (no airtime charges) and it's very easy to switch phones using this method. So, you can carry a small and light phone when you go out for a run, and then easily switch back to your business smartphone when you go to the office. It's great!

Verizon XV6900 smartphone for $9.99

If you're on Verizon Wireless and you're looking for a small touch-screen smartphone running Windows Mobile, then you may want to consider the XV6900 that's only $9.99. It's certainly not the latest or greatest, but it could be a practical option if you're on a tight budget (medical students, did you catch that?). Besides, if you enroll in the "new every two" plan, then you will qualify for an upgrade in two years and smartphones will certainly be much better in two years. Why spend $100-200 for a phone that's probably only going to last 2 years when you can spend $10, right?

You're not going to find the XV6900 in stores. It's only available online (while supplies last). This phone is actually made by HTC and is also known as the HTC Touch, HTC Vogue, or HTC Elf.

Verizon has disabled the built-in GPS on the XV6900, but there are ways you can get around that if you're daring and tech-savvy enough to flash the ROM on your device. You'll even find developers working on custom ROMs running Windows Mobile 6.5.

Here's one other interesting fact about the XV6900 - I believe it's the last smartphone on Verizon Wireless running Windows Mobile that does NOT require a data plan (technically, you sign up for the pay-as-you-go option and that's $0 per month as long as you never use it). If you want to get any other smartphone on Verizon Wireless, you'll have to spend at least $30/month for the data plan alone.

Windows Mobile 6.5 build 23022 on video

Interested in seeing the latest build of Windows Mobile 6.5? Watch this video to see how touch-friendly this operating system is becoming. Soon, the stylus pen will be a thing of the past.

It still makes me laugh when I think about the evolution of this OS. First, we had Windows Mobile 6. Then, we saw 6.1 (very minor updates). Now, we're all getting excited about Windows Mobile 6.5. I wonder if we'll see a 6.7 or 6.8 before Windows Mobile 7 gets released.

Is it time to switch to a new smartphone?

I've been using a Windows Mobile smartphone for several years and now I'm thinking that it may be time to switch to a BlackBerry Storm. Right now, I use the Verizon Wireless XV6800 made by HTC. It's an old phone and it's starting to have some hardware problems. I've asked Verizon to send me another replacement (which makes this phone #4) and I'm thinking about switching to a different phone.

I know that the BlackBerry Storm 2 is coming out this fall, but I don't need Wi-Fi and I can get the current Storm for free (with the "new every two" plan I get a $100 credit). So, what should I do? Should I switch from Windows Mobile to BlackBerry? If I weren't stuck on Verizon Wireless, then I'd go for the iPhone 3G S.

What would I miss if I switch from Windows Mobile to BlackBerry? The app that I'd miss the most is the TomTom GPS Navigator. I use my smartphone as a GPS when I'm driving. Although I could do that with the BlackBerry Storm, my options are fairly limited.

The alternative is to stay with Windows Mobile. I don't want another slider and I don't want to spend any money on a new device if I can get one for free. The Samsung Omnia is nice, but there's a newer model coming out soon. The HTC Touch is also nice, but there's the Touch 2 coming out soon. Maybe it's time to return to the Palm Treo form factor and go with the Samsung Saga. I'm torn. Perhaps it's time to switch to BlackBerry.

Windows Mobile 6.5: Touch Input

According to the folks over at Brighthand, Windows Mobile 6.5 is official. However, it may be a while before you see it out there (unless you happen to know some people at Microsoft). Of course, developers have been working on leaked ROMs that are based on Windows Mobile 6.5.

Smartphones are transitioning to finger-only input. The phones that are "business" or "professional" still have a hardware keyboard with physical buttons. But the vast majority of other phones running Windows Mobile are relying on screen-based touch input.

We've seen this phenomenon burst with the iPhone. Now we have the BlackBerry Storm. On the side of Windows Mobile, we have Samsung with the Omnia and HTC with the Touch Diamond, Fuze, and Touch Pro (which is a slider with a keyboard). LG has the Incite.

So are you ready to transition to a phone that only has a touch screen? Can you live without a hardware keyboard? How will this impact your search for drugs when you're using Epocrates? What if you're typing an email or editing a contact?